The Mystery of Life
by Wheredreamsaremade123
Summary: Elena Gilbert is one of the best lawyers in New York City. She has everything she wants... Except for love. What will happen when a case brings her to Damon Salvatore, young, cocky and daring businessman? Will he change her life? Will it be in the good way or a bad way? Delena story with some Klaroline and a little bit of Beremy and Jalaric. Completely human. AU/AH.
1. Comeback

_Hey guys!_

_I wasn't really planning to post this story so soon because of my other story, but I just couldn't wait! _

_I don't think I need to explain, I think that you have a good picture of the story if you read the summary. :) _

_Please, review, let me know what you think! _

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><p>Elena Gilbert closed her laptop, sighing. She sank deeper into her incredibly expensive, but heavenly comfortable office chair, rubbing her eyes. This case is going to destroy her. It was completely dark outside, except for the city lights. Elena totally lost track of time and she had no idea what time it is. She checked her phone and saw that it was past 11 pm. She let out a huge yawn and stretched her arms, slowly getting up from the chair because if she doesn't leave the office now, she'll fall asleep here. Not that it would be a first time. She took her bag and her laptop and walked out of the door. The building was dark and empty because all of the normal people went home hours ago. But Elena wasn't like the others. She was incredibly committed to her job and she loved it with all of her heart, even though it was extremely hard and often very stressful.<p>

Elena locked the door and let out a sigh. It was finally Friday and tomorrow she will be going home to MysticFalls. She hasn't seen her parents in a long time because her job was stopping her from going home for several days. But this time she took some free time and decided to finally visit her parents. She missed them so much. She missed mom's delicious meals (let's face it, Elena hasn't eaten properly since her last visit) and dad's lame jokes. And there was also her little brother…. Well, he wasn't exactly so little anymore. Elena really hoped that he will be home too because she couldn't remember the last time she saw him and she really missed him. He was too busy with college, like she was with work. That made her kind of sad, but they were both extremely successful and their parents were so proud of their kids so that made Elena proud too.

The buzzing of the phone broke Elena out of her thinking. After couple of moments digging through her bag, she finally managed to find it.

"Hey, Care. What's up?" Elena didn't even realize how tired she sounded.

"Hey, Lena! Where are you?" Caroline cheerfully squeaked on the phone. There was noise in the background, Elena heard music and people talking. Her friend was probably in the bar or café or something.

"Umm…"

"Elena Gilbert! Are you still working?" she didn't sound so cheerful anymore. There was anger and disapproval in her voice now.

Elena rolled her eyes. "I'm heading home now, okay?"

"You promised last week that you'll come and hang with me and guys from work this Friday! Ugh, I can't believe you forgot!"

"I know, I'm so sorry, Caroline. But you know I'm going home tomorrow and I really needed to work on the Anderson's case. The trial is in three weeks and I still have no idea how I'm going to pull that off," Elena said, rubbing her forehead.

"You are getting too attached to mrs. Anderson. And you know we're not supposed to get attached to our clients."

"Yeah, I know. But tell me how should I not get attached to this? I mean, it's really hard… Her case is so sad and heartbreaking and…" Elena's heard her own voice cracking.

"Ugh, why do you have to be so freaking sympathetic? If you keep doing this, if your obsession with work doesn't stop, you're going to end up alone with 25 cats." Elena knew her best friend too well to take Caroline's outbursts seriously so she just laughed.

"Seriously? You have nothing to say at this?" Caroline was getting really annoyed by Elena's attitude.

"No, actually, I don't," she was trying hard not to laugh again because she knew it would make Caroline even more pissed off than she already was.

Caroline let out a sigh, slowly giving up. "God, Elena… Are you even coming to the Pub?"

"I wish I could, but I'm so tired and I have to get up early tomorrow…"

"Yeah, yeah, okay. Then I guess I'll see you after you come back. Bye."

"Bye. Say hello to everyone," Elena said, getting in the elevator.

Elena couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her best friend. She hated ditching her like this, especially because of Caroline's speeches about the importance of friendship. Elena loved Caroline, she really did. They were friends since she came to New York and started working for the Loockwood Lawyer Company. But Caroline had this ability to drive Elena crazy, usually with bitching about Elena's huge commitment to work and her attachment to their clients. Elena really couldn't help it, she was always compassionate and very emotional. Well, except in the courtroom where she was ruthless. Maybe that's why she was considered one of the best lawyers in Manhattan.

There were ten more floors to go. Elena leaned her head on the cold metal of the elevator and let her mind wander at the first time she saw mrs. Anderson.

* * *

><p><em>"Hey, Elena, we have a new case. And you're going to cover it," her boss's son appeared on the door, smiling pitifully. <em>

_Elena groaned. "But, Tyler… You know I have work all over my head, I don't think I can handle working on another case!" she made a desperate face, begging Tyler to ease up._

_"I know, believe me, I get it. It's just… Everyone else is very busy too and I think you might be perfect for this case." _

_"You say that every time, Ty," Elena frowned, glaring at him. Tyler Lockwood was her friend for years, since she started working in his father's company and they agreed not to use formal names ages ago. _

_"That's because you are perfect for everything! Seriously, you're incredible," he stepped in Elena's office, grinning. _

_"Sucking up isn't going to help you," Elena still hadn't taken her eyes off of bunch of papers on her desk. _

_"Elena, please. We're going to pay you a lot for this, you know that we are. I talked to my dad and we both agreed that you're the one who should take this case because you have a chance to do something amazing," Tyler sat in the chair on the other side of the desk and looked at Elena with pleading eyes. _

_"Okay, tell me about the client," Elena finally gave in and Tyler grinned, satisfied. _

_"So… Her name is Emily Anderson. She's been abused by her husband. He also abused their children who are six and nine years old." As Tyler talked, Elena's look softened and her lips trembled. She's never dealt with a situation like this before and she knew it will be pretty emotional for her. _

_"The woman's uncle is some rich old guy so he's paying all that, don't worry about it. And also…" Tyler was interrupted by Elena's secretary who opened the door._

_"Um… Sorry for interrupting, miss Gilbert, but mrs. Anderson is here to see you." _

_Elena gave Tyler a furious look. "Seriously? You told her to come before you asked me?" Tyler shrugged and smiled innocently. _

_"Thank you, Megan, tell her she can come in," Tyler said instead of Elena, which earned him another intimidating glare. _

_Megan left and after a couple of moments a blond woman in her mid-thirties appeared at the door. Elena couldn't help but stare when she entered her office.. Mrs. Anderson was looking down, like she was afraid or ashamed to lift her head up. She had a black eye and was trying to cover up her arms so Elena assumed she had bruises all over her body. She looked miserable and Elena felt terribly sorry for her from the moment she saw her._

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><p>Elena got home and went straight to her bedroom. She threw herself on the bed and let out a sigh. As soon as her head touched the pillow, her eyes began to shut. She didn't even bother to change into her pajama. She slept like a baby. Until her phone rang in 3 am. Elena groaned and grabbed her phone from the nightstand. She picked up, her eyes still closed.<p>

"Hello?" she mumbled.

"Elena! Hi!" it was Caroline. She seemed extremely cheery. "I just wanted to tell you that I love you soooo much," too cheery, Elena thought. She sounded tipsy. Which she probably was. "You are my best friend on the whole world and I'm very, very sorry that I snapped at you earlier. I just think you should loosen up a bit, ya know?" Caroline giggled.

"Thanks, Caroline, apology accepted," Elena said, still angry because Caroline woke her up, but she smiled anyway because her friend was just hilarious when she was drunk.

"Great," Caroline giggled again.

"Hey, Care, you coming?" Elena heard a male voice in the background.

"Caroline, are you with Tyler again?" Elena asked, laughing.

"Well, yeah, we just walked out from the Pub and now we're gonna continue this party somewhere else," Caroline couldn't stop giggling.

"That's great, have fun," Elena said happily.

"Oh, I will. Bye sweetie, I love you."

"Love you too, Care."

Elena hung up and sighed. Caroline was different than her in many aspects. Caroline loved partying and having fun with lots of different men and right now that was Tyler Lockwood, their boss's son. Tyler was a great guy, very outgoing and friendly (and also incredibly hot), but their relationship was nothing serious. That was probably because they were so alike- they didn't want any commitment yet and they were just having fun. Elena, on the other hand, wanted something completely different.

She wanted someone who will love her no matter what, someone she could talk to about everything, someone who will understand her and support her, but still challenge her and have fun with her. Even though she didn't want to admit, Elena kind of liked cheesy stuff. She secretly wanted that kind of relationship she watched in incredible amount of romantic comedies. And right now it seemed to her that she will never find something like that. In today's world, everything is about sex. People, usually drunk, meet in some lousy bar with crappy music and disgusting cheap alcohol, they don't even bother to get to know each other, and after some time, they end up screwing on the first place they find. Elena had wondered where was that magic she's been dreaming of since she was just a kid.

* * *

><p>"Oh, shit," Elena cursed, nervously tapping the wheel with her fingers. She got stuck in the traffic and she couldn't see the end of the cars in front of and behind her. Taking a sip of her coffee, she grabbed her phone and dialed the number. The phone rang a few times until Elena heard the answering machine.<p>

Elena coughed and started talking awkwardly. "Hey, Matt, it's me… Um, I just… I just wanted to tell you that I'm really, really sorry that we didn't get to see each other before I left. I was really busy and I assume you were too so I guess we can meet up when I get back. Anyways, I'm so sorry… Okay, call me when you get this. Bye."

And yet again, Elena let _I love you _slip from her lips. She just couldn't bring herself to tell him how she feels about him. Maybe it was because she still wasn't sure about her feelings. And she should've figured it out by now, Elena and Matt have been seeing each other for almost six months now. Matt already poured her heart to her and she couldn't help but feel guilty that she doesn't feel the same about him. It just somehow didn't feel right. And they were really having a good time together. Matt made her laugh, they could talk about anything and he was really sweet, not to mention awfully handsome, but Elena just wasn't _in love _with him. She actually considered him more as a friend. Even though she knew it was selfish of her to stall him like that, Elena didn't want to break up with him. She just didn't want to be alone. And she hoped that maybe, just maybe, she will eventually develop real feelings for Matt.

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><p>"Grayson! Come out, Elena's here!" Miranda Gilbert shouted excitedly, watching her daughter pulling over to the driveway. As soon as Elena got out of the car, she ran over to her and hugged her tightly.<p>

"Mom. I can't breath," Elena said, struggling to catch a breath. Miranda loosened her grip, stroking her daughter's long, brown hair.

"What took you so long? We've been worried, honey," she whispered.

Elena pulled away so she could face her mother. "Got into traffic. But now I'm finally here," she grinned and put her arms around her dad, who just got out of the house.

"Well, let's come inside, sweetheart, it's freezing out here," Grayson said, taking his daughter's arm.

"Is Jeremy coming?" Elena asked when they came inside.

Miranda smiled. "Yes, your brother should be here by Monday."

"Oh, so they're finally letting him out of that prison?" Elena laughed soundly, giving her father a significant glare.

He frowned. "Hey, I went to med school! And it's not a prison!" he sounded insulted. Elena always loved teasing her dad. When he got angry at her, it would make the vein on his forehead pop. His eyes always narrowed and his lips tightened. Elena found it very fun to watch him.

"Hey, calm down, you two," Miranda stopped them. "Jeremy says he's got a surprise for us."

"What kind of surprise?" Elena asked curiously.

"No idea. He won't tell us," Grayson shrugged.

Elena's younger brother, Jeremy, was in college. He studied medicine, just like their father, who's been a doctor for years. And it wasn't because Grayson made him go there, Jeremy just loved helping people and he knew what he wanted to be since he was a kid. But he was very busy with college, just like Elena with her job, which made those rare family reunions so precious. Elena couldn't wait to see her brother. It's been months since she last saw him.

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><p>Elena moaned as she put another bite of mom's meatloaf in her mouth. She just couldn't help it- it was so damn good.<p>

"Eat up, honey, you've gotten really skinny since the last time I saw you," Miranda said with concern all over her face.

"Yeah, that's why I'm here. I'm surely going to gain a couple of pounds from all these food," Elena smiled, chewing.

Grayson was also giving her a serious look. Elena swallowed, knowing the lecture's coming up. "Your mother's right, Lena. How come you're so skinny? Do you eat anything at all?"

"I do eat, dad."

Miranda shook her head in disbelief. "I know the problem here. You work too much. Every time I call you, you have your nose in paperwork or getting ready for the court and doing whatever you lawyers are doing. That's why you don't eat enough and that's why you have so little free time. And your love life…"

Elena laughed ironically, cutting her mother off. "Oh, so now this is about my love life?" she rolled her eyes, putting her fork down. She didn't feel so hungry anymore.

"No, honey, my point is, you should slow down a bit. You're 27 years old. You have your whole carrier in front of you and that can't wait. But you can't be alone forever. I can't remember the last time you've been in a serious relationship."

"Mom, I don't really want to talk about it with you. Because if I do, we might fight and I don't want to argue with you. Don't worry about me, I'm not all alone in the world, okay?" she looked at her mom, who just nodded.

"And I love my job. I just love it. But that doesn't mean I don't have a private life. So stop lecturing me because I can take care of myself. I'm a big girl."

"I just want the best for you, Elena," Miranda said gently, her eyes warming up.

"I know, mom," Elena put a grip on her hand. "I know you do."

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><p>Elena walked into the Grill. She was so late, Rebekah's going to kill her for it. It's been ages since she last saw her friend and now she's late. It was all her mom's fault. She made her play board games with her and dad, even though Elena told them she had somewhere else to be. She just hoped Rebekah's still waiting for her. She started searching the Grill for her, standing on her toes to see better when she hit something firm. Elena felt the strong smell of bourbon which was now all over her jeans.<p>

"Fuck!" she cursed, lifting her head up so that she could see who got her wet.

As she moved her hair away from her face, her eyes met the most beautiful eyes she's ever seen.

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><p><strong>I think you all know to whom those eyes belong! ;) <strong>

**Thanks for reading and please, REVIEW, I want to know if you guys liked it and if you did, I'll continue it! **

**Love you all xo**


	2. Hangovers and encounters

_Hello, beautiful people!_

_I didn't plan to update this so soon, but I guess the inspiration hit me and it's probably because of the positive response I'm getting for this story._

_Thank you SO much to all of you who followed, favorited and reviewed! It means a lot to me! _

_Here it is, chapter 2. Hope you'll enjoy it :)_

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><p>Crystal blue, ocean colored eyes were piercing through her, making her insides burn. Elena had no idea how long she's been staring. When she finally managed to pull herself together, she saw to whom those eyes belong. The rest of him was as beautiful as his eyes. Raven black, messy hair, strong jaw, incredibly hot body, muscular arms and a playful smirk spread across his lips. There was something so familiar about him. About those eyes. Elena's definitely seen them before. She just couldn't bring a name to his face.<p>

"Great, now you spilled my drink," he said flatly, his voice sexy and deep.

"I spilled your drink? You just came out of nowhere and spilled your stinky bourbon all over me!" Elena said angrily, trying hard not to be distracted by his hotness again.

"I wouldn't spill it _all over you_," he said, imitating her, "if you'd watched where you were going!" He raised his voice now, staring straight into her eyes.

After a couple of moments looking at each other, Elena finally replied. "Well, don't expect an apology from me because you're not going to get one. Besides, it's not my fault." She said sharply, her face very close to his. After giving him another intimidating glare, Elena left, pacing furiously through the crowd. "Jerk," she mumbled angrily.

"I heard that!" she heard behind her, but didn't turn around.

"Hey. I'm so, so, so sorry I'm late," Elena placed a kiss on her friend's cheek.

"Where the hell have you been? I had to drink a half of the bar while I was waiting for you," the blonde said with strong British accent which Elena loved so much. There was an empty martini glass in front of her.

"Like that was a problem to you," Elena laughed, sitting on the chair across her. "Don't ask anything. Bad day. First I got into traffic, then my parents gave me a lecture like I'm six years old and made me to participate in the family night. Oh, and after all that, some idiot spilled his drink all over me," she sighed, leaning in her chair.

"And what about Matt?" Rebekah asked like she didn't hear what Elena just said.

"What about him?" Elena looked confused.

"How are things with him?"

Elena frowned. "I'm not sure what to tell you, to be honest. We haven't heard for days. And I can't really say I miss him. I'm not sure if he even misses me."

"So things aren't really good between you two?"

"No, that's not it. We're fine, it's just… There is no spark, you know?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "What? I thought he's great in the sack. I mean, just look at him," she grinned.

Elena laughed, her cheeks blushing. "You know that's not what I meant, Bekah. We're not in love. And I think that we're both too old to just fool around," she sighed.

"You need something to drink," Rebekah said, smirking.

"No."

"Yes."

"No, Rebekah, no alcohol for me. You know how it always ends."

"Yeah, you end up relaxed a bit and not as uptight as you usually are. What's bad in it?"

Elena glared at Rebekah, rolling her eyes. The blonde grinned and raised her hand to call the waiter. "Two more here!" she yelled.

"I'll kill you," Elena said angrily through her teeth.

"Oh, come on, darling, one drink won't kill you."

For the millionth time, Elena wondered how the hell they've managed to remain friends for all this time. She and Rebekah were inseparable since the first grade and even then, they were complete opposites. Elena always thought through every situation, she was always careful and patient. Rebekah, on the other hand, was totally crazy. She was reckless, spontaneous and wild. That's probably the reason Elena loved her so much. She knew how to take a break and forget the seriousness of life for a second. She knew how to enjoy in life. She did what she wanted, she always followed her heart and never cared about what anyone else would think about her. There were some times Elena wished she could be like that.

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><p>Of course, one drink soon turned into two, three and maybe a couple more drinks. Who counts? After an hour or so, Elena and Rebekah were all over the dance floor. Just as Rebekah caught some random guy and started making out with him, Elena's stomach started to reject all of the alcohol she put in herself. She ran to the bathroom as quick as she could, considering she was stumbling all over the Grill. After she threw out the content of her stomach in the toilet, Elena remembered why she doesn't drink.<p>

When she managed to calm herself down, she opened the door and saw a man standing in the bathroom. All she could see was his back, but she had to admit he had a nice ass. But what the hell was he doing in girl's bathroom?

He slowly turned around and made Elena's jaw drop.

"You," she said furiously.

The mystery guy smirked, those blue eyes piercing through her again. "You know this is men's bathroom?" he cocked his head and watched her with amusement all over his face.

Elena didn't know how to response to that so she just stared at him, completely confused as everything around her was spinning.

The guy laughed, his look softening a little bit. "You okay? It sounded like someone was dying over there."

"Like you care," Elena snapped.

"Ooh, feisty. I like you already," that smirk was still playing on his lips. Elena opened her mouth to say something, but she lost the balance before she had a chance to make a sound. Just when she thought she was going to fall on the floor, she felt a pair of strong arms catching her. She was now face to face with that incredibly hot, but also incredibly annoying guy. She could feel his breath on her face.

After staring at him for what seemed like an eternity, Elena slowly pulled away.

"What are you doing?" she asked, annoyed.

"I think I just kept you from falling to the floor because you're too wasted to do it yourself."

"Oh, shut up! You know that's not what I meant!" she raised her voice.

"Okay, then enlighten me, miss Know It All. What did you mean? What am I doing?" he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her.

"Well, first you acted like a complete asshole when _you_ bumped into _me_ and spilled your fucking drink all over me! And now you ask me if I'm okay? What kind of sick game are you playing?"

"I'm not playing any game," he shrugged, looking at Elena like she was completely insane.

"You know what? Go to hell!" Elena grabbed her bag and stormed out of the door. She suddenly felt completely sober.

* * *

><p>Elena woke up with the worst hangover ever. Damn Rebekah and her martinis. She rubbed her forehead and checked her phone. No missed calls or texts from Matt. Looks like they miss each other <em>very <em>much. It was one pm. Elena couldn't remember when she slept for that long. She slowly got up and headed to the bathroom, groaning. When she started getting flashbacks from last night, she felt incredibly embarrassed. She just hoped that she'll never see that man again.

"Elena, come down! Jeremy is here!" Elena heard her mom yelling excitedly. She quickly got dressed and made her way down the stairs. When she saw her brother, she hugged him tightly and closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath.

"I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Lena," Jeremy said, stroking his sister's hair.

When Elena pulled away, she saw a girl standing next to Jeremy. She was very pretty. She had olive skin, dark hair and a shy look on her face.

"Jer, is this your surprise?" Elena grinned at the girl.

"Yes, it is," he put his arm around the girl's shoulders. "Mom, dad, Elena- this is Bonnie. My girlfriend."

Bonnie smiled shyly, shaking hands with everyone.

"This is the first time he's brought a girl home so you must be very special, Bonnie," Grayson smirked, tapping Jeremy's back.

"She is special," Jeremy grinned. By the way he was looking at Bonnie, Elena could tell he's very in love.

"We're all really glad you're here, Bonnie," Miranda smiled at her sincerely. "You two came just in time for lunch! I made lasagna."

"Ooh, that's awesome! I'm starving!" Jeremy made his way to the kitchen.

"Well, that's something new," Elena teased, rolling her eyes.

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><p>"Hey, Miranda, I forgot to tell you. Giusseppe told me yesterday that he's son is getting divorced," Grayson said to his wife when Jeremy and Bonnie went upstairs to unpack. Elena was sitting on the couch between her parents, drinking coffee she craved so much since she got up.<p>

"The older one? Oh, that's terrible!"

"Yes, the older one, Damon. Elena, you know him, don't you?" Grayson nudged her.

"No idea who that guy is, dad," she was telling the truth.

"Oh, come on, you know. Damon Salvatore, he's a couple of years older than you. He has a younger brother, Stefan. They both went to the same school you did," Miranda explained.

Elena dug through her head, trying to remember who that guy is. And then it hit her. "Oh, Damon the Jerk Salvatore? No wonder that poor woman left him."

"Elena! Watch your mouth! How can you say something like that?"

"Well, I remember going to school with him. He was awful. He tortured all of the kids in school. And when we were in high school, he was always drunk. Haven't seen him ever since, but I don't he's changed a lot," Elena shrugged.

"He did change. He owns that company, S&S. You must've heard of it," her father said, giving her a reproving glance.

"Yeah, of course I've heard of it. It's huge. They do advertising. I just never knew what S&S stands for."

"It stands for Salvatore and Saltzman. Anyways, Damon needs a good lawyer. So I might of mentioned to Giusseppe that you work in a great lawyer company…" Grayson had a guilty look on his face.

"You did what?!" Elena raised her voice. "Yesterday, you two complained how I work too much and now you're trying to set me up another case? Hell no!"

"Please, Elena, calm down. I didn't say you have to do it. Giusseppe is a family friend, I just wanted to help him."

Elena opened her mouth to protest more, but Jeremy and Bonnie came in the living room and just like that, everything was forgotten.

* * *

><p>Klaus Mikaelson walked into the Lockwood lawyer company. It's been a long time since he last visited Tyler and even though he tried, he couldn't remember where his office is. He was searching for someone to ask for help when he heard a woman's voice behind him.<p>

"Hello, can I help you?"

He turned around and came face to face with one of the most beautiful female creatures he's ever seen. Blonde curls were surrounding her perfect face. She had flawless creamy skin, big green eyes and a friendly smile spread across her mouth. He put on a casual smirk, like she just didn't swipe him off his feet. .

"Yes, thank you. I am looking for mr. Lockwood."

"Which one?" she grinned, not taking her eyes off of him.

"Both, actually. I'm their friend. Klaus Mikaelson."

"Well, Tyler's here now so you can go to his office. It's down the hall, the last door on the left."

"Okay, thank you very much, miss…"

"Forbes. Caroline Forbes," she said lightly as Klaus smiled at her and walked away.

"Okay, mrs. Anderson, I'll see you on Thursday. Goodbye," Elena hung up and let out a sigh. The big day is getting closer. If everything goes well on that trial, mrs. Anderson will get the custody over her children and that bastard of her husband will be punished. Elena was probably as nervous as her client was. She can do this. She can help that woman.

When she looked up, Elena saw Caroline talking to some hot guy in front of her office. He was blonde, tall and had dimples on his cheeks. Cute and sexy at the same time. When they were finished, Caroline rushed in her office. There was excitement all over her face.

"Did you see that guy?" she squeaked.

"Yeah, I did," Elena laughed. "Who is he?"

"His name is Klaus Mikaelson. He must be British because he has the accent. The accent, Elena! That's like… One of the hottest things I've ever heard! And that face… Oh my God, he's _perfect_," Caroline was jumping like a little kid. Elena watched her with amusement.

"Care… You should shut up now," Elena said slowly, smile disappearing from her face.

"Why?" Caroline asked, confused. When she noticed that Elena was looking somewhere behind her, she turned around. She opened her mouth in shock. Her cheeks turned completely red as she buried her face in her hands, shaking her head.

Klaus was standing on the door, smirk spread across his face. He almost burst out laughing when he saw Caroline's reaction.

"Caroline?" he called.

"Yes?" she muttered with her face in her palms. She was too ashamed to look at him.

"I was wondering… Would you like to have dinner with me?" he asked, pretending he didn't just hear Caroline's outburst.

Caroline peeked between her fingers, looking at him with astonishment. "Yes," she repeated, still covering her face.

"Brilliant," he smiled.

"So… Can I have your number, please?" Klaus asked after a couple of moments of silence.

Caroline nodded, but didn't move.

"Will you…give it to me?" Klaus was on the verge of laughing.

"I'll give it to you," Elena decided to intervene when she realized Caroline will be of no use. She wrote Caroline's number on a piece of paper and handed it over to Klaus.

"Call her," she grinned.

Klaus glared at Caroline one more time, laughing. "Oh, I will," he walked out of the door.

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><p><strong>The end! I hope you like it... *sighs* <strong>

**More Delena to come in the next chapter! And some Klaroline, hopefully. **

**Please, review, let me know what you think! **

**Love you all xo**


	3. Business and vodka

_Hey guys! It's finally me! _

_I'm so sorry it took me so long to post this chapter, but I've been really busy with school and everything. I was also sick for a few days so that took my inspiration away for some time._

_Anyways, chapter three is here now and I really hope you'll enjoy it! _

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><p>Elena looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked awful. Even though she put some makeup on in the morning, she couldn't hide the bags underneath her eyes, showing that she hadn't slept all night. Tiredness and stress was all over her face. Today was the day of the trial. Elena knew she shouldn't feel so nervous. She's done this a bunch of times. Her look dropped on her hands which were trembling. Partly because of the large amount of caffeine she put in her body today and partly because of the lack of sleep.<p>

"You're a lawyer. You can do this," she said to herself, taking a deep breath.

She splashed some water on her face and fixed her messy hair before heading out of the toilet.

She opened the door and bumped into some man's chest.

"I am so sorry, I didn't see you…" Elena started to apologize. She shut her mouth when she looked up.

"Ooh, you came into the right bathroom this time. Way to go," he said flatly, that same smirk playing on his lips.

Elena couldn't help but stare at him. She watched him curiously.

This time, he didn't wear leather jacket and jeans like the last time they met. This time, he was in a black suit that fit him perfectly. Underneath it, he wore a formal white shirt and a black tie. He also put his hair in order, which wasn't a case when she saw him in MysticFalls.

Elena couldn't decide if he was more attractive like this or in the casual outfit. Both, she agreed.

When she realized that he's not taking his eyes off of her, she looked away, blushing.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" she asked boldly, trying to cover her shame.

"I could ask you the same question," he moved closer to her.

"I asked you first," she started playing his game.

He laughed lightly, putting his hands in his pockets. Once again, he decided to ignore her question.

"So, third time's a charm. Are you going to tell me your name now?"

"Nope," Elena said angrily, brushing his shoulder as she left. This guy really knew how to hit the nerves. And she didn't even know him.

Who the hell was he? And what was he doing in her company? Elena was eager to find out.

* * *

><p>"He called!" Caroline barged in Elena's office, almost yelling of excitement. A huge grin was spread across her face and she was jumping up and down.<p>

Elena raised her head, moving her look away from the papers. She looked at her friend and smiled.

"I'm sorry," the blonde gave her a look full of guilt. "I know that in couple of hours you're having one of the most important trials in your career, but…"

"It's okay, Care, don't worry about it," Elena cut her off. "I need a break anyway. Besides, I'm curios. Tell me!"

Caroline looked like she was about to explode when she was waiting for Elena's approval. She quickly sat on the chair across Elena and grinned.

"So… I didn't think he'd actually call me because I embarrassed myself SO much," she blushed, squirming in her seat, "so when he did call, I almost died. I mean, when I heard that British accent, OH MY GOD, Elena, I had no idea what to say. He did the most of talking and we're going out on Friday night and I have no clue what to wear! Should I dress casual or should I wear a dress or maybe a…"

"Caroline, stop." Elena laughed, allowing Caroline to catch a breath. "It's going to be okay. You're gorgeous, you're funny and smart and you know how to handle a guy!"

"But he's not just any guy, Lena… I think this one's a keeper." Caroline's face was serious, but she still had that dreamy look in her eyes.

Elena smiled at her and gently touched her hand.

She opened her mouth to say something when someone knocked on the door.

"Yes?"

Tyler's head appeared, peeking inside.

"Hey, girls. How's your day going?"

"Oh-oh. This doesn't soon good. You're being too nice," Elena said slowly.

"Um… Look, I've got a client here who wants to meet you. I know that you've got the Anderson case today, but it's just going to take a couple of minutes, I just want to introduce you. And don't ask me why someone else can't take the case because the client asked for you specifically."

Elena looked confused.

"Why would someone ask for me?"

Tyler shrugged like he has nothing to do with it.

"Okay, so I'm going to bring him in. And be nice, he's an important client," he pointed a finger at Elena who shot him a mean glare.

Tyler went out for a second and came back with a man. Elena stood up and opened her mouth to introduce herself, but when she saw the man's face, she went numb.

It was him. It was unmistakably him.

His face was unreadable. Elena couldn't tell if he recognized her or not, but she decided to play it cool.

When she realized her mouth was still open, she closed it quickly and put her professional face on.

"Elena, this is Mr. Salvatore. Mr. Salvatore, this is Elena Gilbert. She will be your attorney," Tyler said. It was obvious to Elena that he was sucking up, wanting to make a good impression because, after all, this guy was _an important client._

"Nice to meet, you, Mr. Salvatore," Elena said politely, shaking his hand. Her dad is going to pay for this.

"Nice to meet you, too. Oh, and, please, call me Damon," he said, gazing into her eyes and smirking. Even though she didn't want to admit it to herself, Elena felt electricity between the two of them every time they were looking into each other's eyes. And when their hands were touching, the electricity was even more powerful.

When he removed his hand from hers, Elena's hand felt like it was burning. Damon's eyes were still on her so she looked away because she thought she'd explode.

"Mr. Salvatore, do you want me to give miss Gilbert information about your case or would you like to tell her yourself?" Elena almost forgot about Tyler who was standing right behind Damon.

"I think I can carry on from here, thank you, Tyler," he replied without even looking at him. Tyler dropped his look and left Elena's office. Caroline followed him and Elena felt a rush of shame when she was left alone with Damon.

"Please, sit, mr. Salvatore."

"Damon," he cut her off, smirking. He slowly sat in the chair across Elena and crossed his legs, waiting for her to start.

Elena shifted in her chair, trying not to smile. She must be professional about this. She can't let anything that happened before get in the way. Because, as Tyler said, an important client was sitting in front of her.

Oh, she is so going to kill her dad.

"So… Damon," she looked up, still trying to be serious. "Can you tell me about your case? I'm not familiar with it."

Damon finally got serious, making it a little easier for Elena.

"Well, first of all, I want to apologize for coming here without any announcement and say thank you because you agreed on seeing me."

_Not completely true, _Elena thought. She just nodded, giving him an approval to continue.

"I know you must be very busy so I'm going to be short," he cleared his throat and sat up. "You see, I'm getting divorced. Me and my, well, soon to be ex wife have been married for 2 and a half years. She also wants to get divorced and it wouldn't be a problem if she wasn't planning to take all of my money. That's where you come in. I would like to get divorced from Katherine as soon as possible and it would be nice if I could do that without her robbing me. From what I've heard, you're the most capable person for that."

"Okay, I will need some more information so I believe we should set up another meeting," Elena said professionally.

"Yeah, sure. When does it work for you?"

"Is Monday okay? 11 am?"

"Of course. I'll see you on Monday. Thank you, miss Gilbert," he stood up and shook her hand one more time.

"No, thank you. And please, call me Elena," she smirked, letting go of his hand.

He looked at her one more time and turned around to leave.

As he walked away, Elena held her breath watching him moving slowly and graciously.

Damn, why did he have to be so irresistible?

* * *

><p>"I love you. I will always love you," Elena heard a sound of the TV as she opened the door.<p>

"No, he won't! He's telling you that just to screw you a few more times and very soon you'll find him screwing the bitch from the 3rd floor on his desk! Run, run far away and never look back!" Jenna was shouting from the couch, waving with a spoon which she used to eat ice cream.

"I love you too," a girl on the TV said.

"Oh, nooo! Now you're screwed!" Jenna yelled disappointedly.

Elena threw herself on the couch next to her cousin.

"Hi!" she wrapped her arm around Jenna and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Elena, hi! I'm so sorry, I didn't hear you come in!" Jenna hugged her, smiling.

"I think that might be from all of your yelling…"

Jenna gave her an evil look. "Well, look at this pathetic movie! It's terrible! I don't even know why I'm watching it! It was supposed to take my mind off of Logan Fucking Fell, but it's just…"

"Hey, hey, hey…" Elena cut her off, seeing that she might crack. "I've got something that will help you forget him. I can see you're running out of your stash…" her look dropped on the half empty ice cream box, "so I brought some more!"

When Elena pulled out a couple of ice creams and a bottle of vodka from the plastic bag, Jenna's eyes glowed.

"You thought of everything, didn't you?" she grinned.

"Of course I did," Elena smiled. "Do you want to talk about it?" her smile dropped. She gently touched Jenna's hand.

Jenna rubbed her forehead, sighing. "No. Yes. I don't know. There's nothing to talk about... Logan cheated on me, we broke up, I quit my job and that's it."

"You quit?" Elena's jaw dropped.

"Of course. What should I've done? I can't work with him anymore. I can't even look at him again," she ran her fingers through her strawberry blond hair. Even though she was trying to cover it, Elena could see that Jenna's falling apart.

"Jenna... Talk to me."

She opened a vodka bottle and handed it over to Jenna.

After she took a sip straight from the bottle, she looked at Elena and started talking. "I don't know… I really thought this is going to work. I thought that I'm going to marry Logan one day, that we're going to have children, live happily ever after and all that crap," she rolled her eyes. "Because I was ready to do all of that. I mean, I'm 33. It's time for me to settle down and start living a normal life. But it looks like that's not going to happen very soon. It looks like I'm an idiot magnet. I can't remember the last time I was in a serious relationship. And now, when I thought I found the right person, I walked in at that same person banging some secretary. I'm starting to think that I'm the problem."

"You're not the problem, Jenna. You're perfect. You're beautiful, smart, funny and totally awesome. I mean, who wouldn't want _you_?"

There were tears in Jenna's eyes, but she smiled at Elena's words. She took another sip of vodka.

"Okay, enough about me, I don't want to talk about it anymore. How was your day?"

"Ugh, don't ask," Elena took the bottle from Jenna's hand and took a large gulp. "It was awfully exhausting, but also totally awesome. I had the Anderson trial today. The last one. And Mrs. Anderson got the custody over her children! I can't believe we made it… After so many sleepless nights and so much stress, we did it. No one believed I could do it. Hell, even I didn't believe I could do it. There still might be a couple of appeals from Mr. Anderson, but it's nothing I can't handle," a grin spread all over Elena's face.

"Wow, honey, I'm so glad that went well!" Jenna rubbed Elena's arm.

"Yeah, I'm glad too…" she let out a breath. "Okay, enough with the heavy topics. We have a load of ice cream and a bottle of vodka to finish," Elena smiled as Jenna handed her a spoon.

* * *

><p>Caroline was standing in front of her building, checking her watch. It was almost 8 pm. Klaus should be here any second.<p>

She ran a hand through her perfectly curled blond hair, sighing nervously. For a moment, she thought about coming back inside. But the thoughts disappeared as she pictured Klaus's perfect face in front of her.

Caroline spent the whole afternoon getting ready for this date. She had to look perfect. She wore a knee length blue dress and high heels which she bought just for the date. At the same time, she was super excited and freaking out. She can't embarrass herself again.

Just when she took her phone out of her bag to text Elena, a car pulled over in front of her. And not just any car. It was a limo. And Klaus was sitting inside, waiting for Caroline to join him.

* * *

><p><strong>Ooh, Klaroline goes on a date! I wonder how that will turn out... <strong>

**Let me just get one thing clear... Rebekah and Klaus are not related in this story. **

**I really hoped you liked this chapter! Review, let me know what you think! Your opinion means a lot to me.**

**Thanks to all of you who are reading this story, following, reviewing... I love you all!**


	4. Dates and flowers

_Hi guys! _

_I'm back, FINALLY. _

_I just want to say that I'm so,so,sooooo sorry for being such a bitch and letting you wait so long for this chapter! A lot has been going on in my life lately and I just didn't have time to work on the story. But now I'm back, my muse is back and we'll be kicking asses! _

_I just hope that you didn't give up on me and that you can forgive me. I promise that I won't keep you waiting so long anymore! Please don't hate me *puppy eyes*_

_Here it is, the fourth chapter. I hope you'll like it and, please, **review!**_

* * *

><p>As the door opened, Caroline froze. What is she going to say to him? How is she going to act? She had no idea how to survive this date.<p>

When Klaus came out, she held her breath. He stood in front of her, a sassy smirk on his face. He wore plain white shirt and dark grey suit which fit like it's made just for him.

"Hello, Caroline," he gently took her hand and brought it to his lips.

"Hi," she mumbled, hoping that he couldn't tell that her voice was shaking.

"Shall we?" he asked, offering her his arm. She took it and smiled at him. Caroline's heart was pounding like crazy when she felt the touch of his warm skin on her hand. She stepped forward to enter the limo and suddenly, she lost balance and started falling. Closing her eyes, she prepared herself for hitting the ground, but instead, she hit something else. She felt a pair of strong arms beneath her, holding her tight.

Caroline opened her eyes and looked up. Klaus was looking down on her with a smile that pointed out his dimples.

"Congratulations," she grinned, trying to cover her shame, "you just swept me off my feet."

* * *

><p>"You look stunning, I must say," Klaus looked up, bringing a fork to his mouth.<p>

"Thanks," Caroline sighed and took a large sip of her wine. "I'm glad that I at least look decent, since nothing else seems to be in my favor," her look dropped.

"What," Klaus looked confused, "are you talking about?"

Caroline put her fork down and looked at him. "Well, whatever I do, I only seem to embarrass myself whenever you're around. And you, on the other hand… You handle everything perfectly. I mean, just look at this," she waved her hand. "You pick me up with a freaking _limo_, choose the perfect restaurant, which is probably incredibly expensive, you're so charming and nice and everything… And what do I do? I can't even walk properly. It sucks," there was frustration all over her face.

Klaus didn't say anything, he just started laughing.

"Oh, you think that's funny?"

He nodded, still laughing.

Caroline shot him a mean glare, trying to stay serious, but she couldn't. She burst out laughing, shaking her head.

"Oh, Caroline," Klaus said, still laughing. "I don't need you to be perfect. I like you exactly the way you are. Even if that means that you're clumsy and paranoid and…"

"Hey! Stop right there!" she pointed a fork at him, smirking. He put his hands up, like he's giving up.

"Okay, okay. I just wanted to say that you don't have to try so hard to impress me because that's already done. I was impressed by you the moment I saw you."

She smiled, blushing. "Nice save."

He smirked, not taking his eyes off of her as he brought his glass to his mouth.

* * *

><p>Elena took a sip of coffee, staring at her laptop. It was her third cup today and it wasn't even noon yet. She had a rough weekend and was still recovering from it. She went out with Matt for the first time in weeks and she got so wasted that he had to carry her home. All she remembers is going into a club and waking up in her bed in the morning. Elena's not used to party like that. She usually spends her weekends with her face buried in stack of papers. Her usual Saturday night consists of hanging out with a bunch of cases that need to be solved. But this time, she had reasons to celebrate and she loosed up a bit. And it didn't end well. She spent whole Sunday in bed, having the worst headache ever. Monday came too soon and she had to go back to her office.<p>

Elena was so focused on her work that she almost didn't hear someone knocking on the door.

"Come in!" she yelled, having no idea who might it be.

As the door opened, she saw a tall, dark figure entering the office. And then she remembered. She had a meeting with Damon Salvatore today. A real meeting, without her spilling his drink, throwing up or falling off her feet.

"Mr. Salvatore. Hello," she stood up.

"I already told you, call me Damon," he smirked, walking casually toward her desk. This time he wore dark blue jeans and black button-up shirt. He shook her hand and sat down, leaning back in his chair.

"Can I offer you a drink?"

"Sure, but I don't think you have what I usually drink so I'll just have a glass of water, please."

Elena picked her phone up. "Megan, could you please bring us two glasses of bourbon? Thank you." When she was finished, she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back casually.

Damon was watching her with an amused expression. He leaned forward, staring in her eyes.

When he opened his mouth to say something, Megan came in carrying their drinks.

"To our cooperation!" he said, raising his glass, still piercing her with his eyes.

"So, you've already told me about your wife… Uhm, what is her name again?" she said after putting her glass down.

"Katherine. Katherine Pierce."

"Right, I'm sorry. So, miss Pierce wants half of your property, am I right?"

"Yes, that's true. I actually think that she wants more than half of it," he wiggled in his chair with a frown on his face. "You see, before we got married, we signed a prenup in which stands that, in the case of divorce, we split everything in half. I realize now that I was incredibly dumb for signing that, but her parents made me do that. I guess I loved her too much to deny it back then. Besides, I thought we'll never divorce each other. But things have changed." Elena saw a flicker of pain on his face as he was telling the story.

"Mr. Salva… Damon. You do realize that if you'd signed a prenup, you have to stick with it…"

"Yes, I do. But..." his voice pitched. "Katherine broke our deal. She was cheating on me. And in our contract stands that if one cheats on their partner, one loses all the rights on their partner's property. That way, Katherine would be left with almost nothing because she was broke before we got married. It's not like she doesn't deserve it."

"Well, that changes everything," Elena said, pleased with what she just heard.

"Actually, it doesn't," Damon interrupted, puckering his lips. "I have no proof that she was cheating on me. But I just know it. And I know that I probably sound like a crazy person right now, but I'm telling you the truth. I know my wife better than anyone. And I've noticed when she started acting different. I know that she was unfaithful, I'm sure of it. I'm going to find a proof and take Katherine down."

Elena watched him with a surprised expression. He was right, he did sound like a crazy person. But there was something in him that made Elena believe that he is telling the truth. He had that look of a hurt man.

"And I'm going to help you take her down," she heard herself talking before even thinking about it. She had no idea how she's going to make the court believe that Katherine broke the deal without any proof.

Damon smiled. "You sound very confident. I like it. But I'm going to ask you one more time. Are you sure of this? Are you sure you can help me?"

Elena gulped, staring at his serious face. She stayed silent for a couple of moments. "Yes. I am sure," she finally said, fierceness burning in her eyes.

"Wow, I can see why your father recommended you. You really are determined when it comes to solving the case. I like that. I am really happy that you are my lawyer, _Elena._"

"Not as much as I am, _Damon._"

"Well, I should get going. I have a lot of work to do and I'm sure you do, too," he slowly got up from his chair. "I'll e-mail you everything you need and I hope to see you soon," he said politely and friendly.

_Maybe he's not such a jerk after all, _Elena thought, smiling at him.

"Thank you for the drink," he said, turning around to leave. He stopped by the door. "Actually, no. You did owe me. Since you know, you kind of spilled one all over me," he said with victory written all over his face.

Oh, no, he did not.

Elena opened her mouth to say something in return, but by the time she thought of appropriate reply, he was already gone.

"Sassy bastard," she mumbled angrily when he was out of her sight. She was glad that he left because, if he stayed for another second, she would probably throw a sharp object at him.

* * *

><p>Caroline was just finishing her lunch when she saw her assistant Jesse carrying an enormous bouquet of red roses.<p>

"Caroline!" she heard his voice behind all the flowers. "This just came for you!" he handed it to her.

"Seriously?" she picked it up. "Who sent these?"

Jesse shrugged, looking confused. "I figured you would know."

When Caroline pulled the note out and opened it, she thought she might faint. There was a beautiful drawing of her on a small piece of paper. On the other side of the paper, there was a note: _Exactly the way you are. Truly and utterly beautiful. _

The note wasn't signed, but Caroline knew very well who sent it. She thought she probably looked like an idiot, standing there, in the middle of the hallway, grinning like crazy, but she didn't care. She's always dreamed of grand romantic gestures that are seen only in movies. She wished someone would do that for her some day since she was a little girl, but she lost hope ages ago. This was a proof that romantic men who care still exist.

"Care! Oh my God, are those from Klaus?!" she heard her best friend squeaking somewhere behind her.

She couldn't say a word so she just nodded excitedly.

"Wow! I guess that means that date went well," Elena was now standing in front of her, smiling.

"It was awesome!" Caroline exclaimed, burying her face in the roses, absorbing the scent.

"Oooh, that means there was some action," Elena wiggled her eyebrows, teasing Caroline.

"Elena Gilbert! No! Klaus is a real gentleman, I couldn't just get into bed with him after our first date," she was blushing like crazy.

"That doesn't mean you don't want to…" a naughty smile played on Elena's lips. Caroline clapped her shoulder, giving her a meaningful glare.  
>"I want to take it slow with him, okay? Because I really think he's worth it. Stop teasing me!"<p>

"Okay, okay, I'll stop. Soo… When are you seeing him again?"

* * *

><p>When Elena came home, all she wanted to do was to crawl into her bed and sleep for days. Just when she took a shower and put on her pajama, she heard a doorbell. For a moment, she actually considered not answering it and pretending she's not home.<p>

"Elena? You home?" when she heard Jenna's voice, she opened the door instantly.

"Jenna! Hi! What are you doing here?"

"Bearing some good news. And pizza." Jenna walked in the apartment, putting the pizza box on the table.

"Oh, thank God, I'm starving!" Elena opened the box and reached for a slice. "Oh, right! The good news. Tell me!" she said, mouthful of pizza.

Jenna laughed and took a slice herself.

"I got a job!"

"Really? Jenna, that's great. Where?!"

"S&S company."

Elena almost choked on her food. "You've got to be kidding me," she whispered, rolling her eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing, Jenna, I'm very happy for you," she was telling the truth. But this was just ridiculous.

Did Damon make his life goal to mess with her mind or what?

* * *

><p><strong>AAAND THE END!<br>**

**I hope you guys liked this chapter!**

**Let me know what you think, I'm ready for questions, comments, insults , everything. Just please, REVIEW.  
><strong>

**Again, I'm really, really sorry that for keeping you waiting, but the next update is coming a lot sooner, I promise!**

**Love you all, xo **


	5. Family bonds

_Heey guys! Happy Easter to all of you! _

_I'm back with a new chapter! _

_This one's a little longer, consider it as an apology for me being a bitch an not updating this story more often :(_

_Enjoy and don't forget to review! _

* * *

><p>"Hey! Is the boss letting you go out for lunch?" Elena peeked in Jenna's office, whispering.<p>

Her cousin looked up and smiled when she saw her.

"Yeah, the boss is letting her go out for lunch," before Jenna got the chance to reply, Elena felt someone's hot breath tingling the back of her neck. Even though she knew very well whose voice is that, she turned around and came face to face with Damon.

"Maybe he is a bastard, but he doesn't want his employees to starve," he said cheerfully, that same smirk on his face.

"Damon. Hi!" Elena forced a smile. She felt uncomfortable standing so close to him, but still, she couldn't force herself to step back. Partly because of his hypnotizing eyes and partly because he smelled so freaking good that Elena wanted to jump his bones.

"Wait. You two know each other?" Jenna snapped Elena out of her thoughts. She cleared her throat, turning around to Jenna. "Yes, Damon is my client."

"For a while now, I'm surprised that Elena didn't mention that to you, Jenna," Damon said innocently, making Elena's face turn red with anger because she knew Jenna's going to give her a hard time about this.

Before Jenna could say something, Elena cleared her throat and turned back to Damon.

"We should get going now, lunch time doesn't last forever," she said, waiting for him to move from the door.

"Yes, of course, I won't bother you two anymore. I'll see you tomorrow, Elena," he winked at her before turning around to leave.

"Okay, what was that?" Jenna was standing behind her cousin, swinging her purse impatiently. She was looking at Elena in the way that made Elena feel incredibly guilty.

"Why didn't you tell me that my boss is your client?"

Elena shrugged casually as they walked down the hallway. "I don't know, I guess that topic never came up."

"Hey, Jenna! Where are you going?" a hot guy stopped them just when they were about to go in the elevator. He was tall, with sandy hair and friendly, bright blue eyes.

"Oh, I'm going out for a lunch," Jenna said, blushing.

"Okay, just make sure to come back later, I'm going to need you. I can't function without you," he grinned at her, making Jenna's cheeks turn even brighter shade of red.

"And what was _that_?"

"What was what?" Jenna entered the elevator, refusing to look at Elena.

"That hottie was totally flirting with you."

"That _hottie_, as you so poetically put it, is my boss. And he was not flirting with me," she pressed the button, tapping nervously with her foot.

"_That _was Alaric Saltzman?" Elena's jaw dropped and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Yeah, why do you sound so shocked?" Jenna looked at her with an amused look on her face.

"Well, I've always pictured him… Differently."

"How differently?"

"I don't know, but definitely not that hot. He's totally into you," Elena smiled, nudging her cousin.

"Elena," Jenna glared at her, "he would never look at me. Besides, I don't really need a distraction right now. I have a new job which is awesome and I need to stay focused on that."

Elena was trying hard not to laugh at Jenna's attempt to be a serious adult.

"I'm not kidding," Jenna said, punching Elena in the arm.

"We'll see about that."

* * *

><p>Elena woke up to the sound of raindrops hitting her window. She lay in bed for a couple of minutes, watching the rain pour on the streets of New York. It felt like a perfect day to stay in bed, drink hot cocoa and watch TV all day. But that couldn't happen. At least not to Elena. She was always busy and rarely had time for that kind of days.<p>

Besides, she had something important to do.

She got up, taking a deep breath.

This is going to be a long day.

Caroline opened the door of her office, looking surprised when she saw the person standing in front of her.

"Elena! What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be in court? Or at least preparing for the trial?"

Elena brushed Caroline's shoulder as she entered her office. She threw herself on Caroline's small sofa in the corner of the room and let out a sigh. "The trial is at 1 pm. And I'm already prepared. At least I hope I am," she looked up, giving her friend a nervous look.

Caroline sat at the edge of the sofa, looking down on Elena who was sprawled across it. She looked as she was about to fall asleep.

"You can do it, Elena," she gave her an encouraging look, smiling at her.

"I know," Elena said, closing her eyes.

"Hey! Stay awake!" Caroline raised her voice and clapped her hands loudly, making Elena wince.  
>"I'm awake. I'm just thinking," Elena said groggily.<p>

"About what?" the blonde stood in front of her, watching her suspiciously.

Elena rubbed her forehead, sighing. "About this case. It's pretty complicated," she sat up and cleared her throat. She was trying to stay calm. "Distract me. Any juicy details about you and a certain man with an accent…?" Elena wiggled her eyebrows, naughty smile playing on her lips.

Caroline sat next to her and let out a deep breath. "Unfortunately, no. We know each other for over a month and he's been gone for three weeks of that time. We don't have time for juicy details, Elena."

"When is he coming back?"

"Next week," Caroline said, feeling exasperated.

"Then you know what you have to do," yet again, Elena smiled naughtily, nudging Caroline's arm.

Caroline's cheeks turned red as she opened her mouth. "Elena!" she punched her lightly on the shoulder. "I already told you, I want to take this slow."

"I think you're taking it a little too slow. You two haven't even kissed yet."

"That's because he's been in England for last three weeks, I think I already made that clear. Besides, we've only been on two dates," Caroline looked annoyed by Elena.

"Yeah, but you talk on the phone all the time. I bet there was even some phone sex, you just don't want to admit it," Elena teased again. She found Caroline's embarrassment by all this very amusing.

"Okay, I've had enough," Caroline pointed a finger at her friend, her face mixed with anger and embarrassment. "Either you stop acting like this or get out of my office."

"Fine, fine, I'm stopping. It's just… You two are adults, you obviously like each other, you are attracted to each other… I don't see a point in taking it slow. It's not like you don't want it. And don't even bother to deny it."

Caroline rubbed her forehead, turning away from Elena. "Ugh, Elena, of course I want it!" She threw her hands up in annoyance. "But I can't just jump into bed with him like some bimbo! What will he think of me, for God's sake?!"

Elena leaned back on the comfy couch and crossed her arms, trying really hard not to laugh.

* * *

><p>The halls of the court were filled with people, as always. Lawyers were rushing up and down in their suits, carrying their suitcases and not noticing anybody else. Elena had got used to this rush. In fact, she loved it. She felt safe in here, knowing that these people are trying very hard to help people. To save an innocent life, to fight against injustice, to change people's lives… Elena took a deep breath, letting the familiarity of this place overwhelm her.<p>

She fixed her hair which was damp from the rain, straightened her pencil skirt and started walking, searching for a person who counted on her today. When she found him, she sped up her pace. He looked steady, but Elena got to know him enough to know that he's raging inside. He was probably freaking out even more than her.

"Hey!" she gave him an encouraging smile and handed him a cup of coffee. "I thought you'll might need some."

"Thanks," he grinned, their hands touching as he took the coffee.

"You ready?" she asked with a serious look on her face.

"I was born ready," he smirked, but it seemed to Elena that she saw a flicker of pain in his eyes. It was replaced by sassiness in a second.

"Okay, then let's do this."

She stepped forward and turned around to make sure he's following her. He wasn't. He was just standing there, looking at some spot behind her, totally unaware of her presence. His facial expression full of nervousness and worry made Elena want to hold his hand.

"Damon," she called, her voice filled with concern. When he didn't move, she tried again. "Damon, look at me," she said gently. His look finally dropped on her. He looked lost.

"It's going to be okay. I can do this, we can do this," she assured him. For one long moment, his eyes were piercing through hers, like he was making sure that Elena believed what she was saying. Finally, he nodded and followed her in the courtroom.

There were few people inside, as it usually was when it comes to cases like this. Elena noticed that Katherine and her lawyer still weren't here, even though the judge was. They took their places and waited. Damon was tense, Elena could feel it when his muscular arm touched hers.

The door opened and two people took their places opposite them. One of them was a woman. Incredibly beautiful woman, Elena noticed. Dark curls were covering half of her back, her eyes were big and brown with a lot of make-up, her lips full and red. She wore a white blouse, revealing a pretty big cleavage, black pencil skirt that showed her long, perfect legs and a matching jacket. Katherine Pierce. She was just like Damon described her. Only even more beautiful and even deadlier-looking.

Next to her was a man in a dark grey suit, with light brown hair and big green eyes. He looked incredibly familiar to Elena. For a moment, she dug through her brain, trying to remember who he was.

And then it hit her.

Elena felt Damon tense even more next to her. His jaw was firm and he looked like he was about to explode.

"Is that…?" Elena whispered in shock.

Damon just nodded, his look cold as ice.

As soon as the trial ended, Damon stormed off, shutting the door loudly behind him. Elena managed to catch Katherine's evil, triumphal glare before she followed him.

"Damon!" Elena called, running down the stairs after him. The sound of her high heels echoed through the almost empty hall. She tried really hard to catch up with him, but she failed in her attempt. "Damon, wait! You need to calm down."

He stopped, not turning around. "How? How am I supposed to calm down?"

She put her hand on his shoulder, making him to turn around. "Look, I know this must be hard for you, but…"

"Of course it's hard for me, Elena! My brother just betrayed me, disappointed me like he never has before! We didn't get along, but… I never thought he was capable of doing something like this," Damon's voice was a mixture of pain and fury. His face was red and the vein on his neck looked like it was about to blow.

A couple of lawyers were staring at them, listening to Damon's outburst. When Elena realized that they weren't alone, she grabbed Damon's arm and started half-dragging him out.

"Let's get out of here," she said, not bothering to turn around and see his face, which was full of surprise, but not disapproval.

"So where are you taking me?" Damon asked after walking for 15 minutes. 20, if you count stopping to get some frozen yoghurt. Frozen yoghurt always manages to calm her down, claimed Elena.

"You'll see. We're almost there," Elena said mysteriously, not looking at him. She made a turn, then another one and they found themselves at the end of the small, but not dark alley. At first Damon saw nothing, but then he realized that there was a small pond in front of them. Next to it there was only one bench and a couple of willows that cast a perfect shadow on the bench. It was beautiful, like paradise.

Elena sat on the bench, staring at the sky with a dreamy look on her face. Damon slowly placed himself next to her.

"We came just in time. Look," she pointed her finger at the sky. Damon listened to her. He looked. His eyes widened.

The sun was just setting. It looked like the sky chose the most beautiful colors to paint itself. Light pink, gold, orange, yellow, red and purple were dancing on the horizon. You couldn't see a scene like this very often if you lived in New York.

They were both sitting there in silence, not being able to take their eyes off of the sky.

When the sun set, Damon frowned and looked at Elena. "So, tell me. What's so special about this place? Well, except the obvious."

She sighed and ran her fingers through her dark brown hair. "I lived in a small town that was full of places like this. Quiet, peaceful, beautiful places… And then I came to New York. I found myself surrounded by all the city fuss, noise and crowd. I can't say that I don't like it, I do. I got used to it by now. But… Sometimes, I just needed a place to hide. A place to clear my mind, a place to breathe… This is that place. And whenever I have the need to get away from something or calm down, this is where I come. It works every time."

"I can see why. Can I borrow your secret hideout sometimes?"

"Sure," she grinned.

"You want to talk about it?" a smile disappeared from her face.

He shrugged. "What's there to talk about? How my own blood stabbed me in the back?"

"Fine. If you don't want to talk about it, then we'll just sit here."

"We never really got along," Damon started after a couple of moments of silence. "Me and Stefan… Our father was always disappointed by me. I was a rebel because he always yelled at me, he always yelled at me because I was a rebel… It all just went round and round, actually," he swallowed, looking at the distance.

"Stefan, on the other hand, was a golden boy. I hated that. My mother was the only thing that kept our family from completely falling apart. She still is. I knew that my brother didn't like me at all, but that he could do this… He's defending the person that almost ruined my life. He obviously wants to destroy me. I just… I can't believe it," Damon buried his face in his hands, letting out a deep breath.

"I know. Neither can I," Elena gently squeezed his shoulder. "But I won't let him. I won't let him destroy you."

* * *

><p><strong>The end! <strong>

**You probably noticed that I made a little time jump(one month), I hope you don't mind. :) **

**I really hoped you liked this chapter because I did... There was some shocking revelations, but also some opening up from Damon and Elena. **

**So Stefan is Katherine's lawyer! You didn't see that coming, huh? Neither did I :O**

**Anways, big thanks for reading and please, REVIEW, let me know what you think! **

**Love ya all xo **


	6. Make ups and break ups

_Helloooooo! I'm back!_

_I just want to thank to all of you who are reading and reviewing, it means a lot to me. Keep doing it, I love to see your opinion on this story :) _

_Here it is, chapter six. Enjoy! _

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><p>"You know, there's something that I've been dying to ask you since you first walked into my office," Elena said, slowly walking next to Damon. It was pretty dark outside and Elena had no idea how long it's been since they left the courtroom. She didn't care, actually.<p>

"Yes," he said.

"Yes what?" Elena looked at him, puzzled.

"Yes, it's as big as you think. Maybe even bigger. Here, let me show you," he reached for his belt and started undoing it with a smirk on his face.

At first, Elena didn't know what to say. She just stared at him. "What… Damon!" she punched him lightly in the shoulder when she realized what he was trying to say.

"What? You could've asked sooner, I don't bite," he grinned. She gave him an intimidating glare, which made him wipe the grin of his face.

He rolled his eyes. "Go on, ask."

"When you… When we bumped to each other at the Grill…" Elena said shyly. A smirk played on Damon's lips.

"Did you know who I was?" she asked, blushing.

He was silent for a few moments, like he was thinking about what he was going to say. "Yes," he said finally, "I remembered you from school."

"Oh my God, I feel so stupid right now. Honestly, I had no idea who you were. But when I found out…" she stopped.

"Go on," a naughty grin was spread over his face, like he knew what was coming.

"I was completely embarrassed. I mean, I didn't know if you're going to trust me with your case when you saw me… In that condition," Elena lowered her voice. She slowed her pace as they were coming closer to her building.

"Oh, you mean totally wasted?" he asked, glaring at her. She just nodded.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I knew that you were a good lawyer, that was never questionable. And when I saw you in the office, all ashamed and trying not to make an eye contact with me… Ooh, I just couldn't wait to start teasing you."

"Torturing a poor girl like that," Elena shook her head, "you are a piece of work, Salvatore, you know that?" she said slowly, smiling at him.

He just smirked. "Goodnight, Gilbert," he walked away, leaving Elena standing at her front door, grinning like an idiot.

* * *

><p>Caroline Forbes was sitting in her chair, staring at her computer screen. That's what she's been doing for hours. And even though she stared and stared, she saw nothing. Her mind would wander somewhere else every time she would try to concentrate and actually do her job.<p>

That kind of stuff usually didn't happen to her. Whatever was happening in her life, she was always able to stay focused and professional.

But not today.

She hadn't heard from Klaus in days.

And Caroline being Caroline started freaking out, of course.

Since Klaus went to England four weeks ago, they've been talking almost every day. Caroline started thinking that they were getting very close when he stopped calling few days ago. He didn't even send a text. Nothing.

At first, she was worried that something maybe happened to him. But then he posted a photo on Instagram. That pissed Caroline off so she called him like a thousand times, but he didn't return her calls. It's been five days and Caroline started thinking that he's probably not interested in her anymore. He probably found someone else in London. That wouldn't be a surprise because he's smokin' hot and charming as fuck.

Of course she fell for him. She didn't mean to fall for him that much, she really didn't. But there was something drawing her to him, something irresistible. She always does that. Falls for wrong men who end up hurting her. That's probably the reason she's decided, a while ago, that it's better for her to just have fun and not to get into relationships. But, things have changed and Caroline broke her own rule.

Her mind was so occupied that she almost forgot to go home when her work day ended. She slowly picked up her stuff, sighed and dragged herself out of her office.

Caroline usually took a cab to her apartment, but tonight she needed to take a walk to clear her mind. On her way home, she stopped at her favorite coffee shop to get some hot chocolate. It was a chilly evening and a hot beverage was just what she needed to keep herself warm. She walked slowly, soaking in everything around her. Hundreds of yellow taxies, people in rush, the lights of Manhattan… It made Caroline calm down a little bit.

When she came closer to her building, she saw a man standing in front of it. He had his back turned to her and he looked like he was searching for someone.

"Can I… Can I help you?" Caroline asked, standing behind the man.

The man turned around slowly and when she saw him, she stepped back in surprise.

"Klaus?" her eyes widened. "What are you doing here? You were supposed to come back in three days," she said, confused.

"Are you not happy to see me, love?"

Caroline threw her arms around him without thinking. She got embarrassed when she realized what she was doing. But then Klaus put his strong arms on the small of her back and all of her shame was gone. "Of course I am," she beamed, holding him tighter as he buried his face in her golden hair.

"I'm glad that you didn't forget about me," he said when they finally pulled away from each other.

"I could never forget you," Caroline said like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I honestly thought that you forgot me…" her look dropped on her favorite flats. You could see that they were worn out, but Caroline didn't care.

She heard Klaus letting out a deep breath. "I'm sorry. For being an ass and not calling you for the last couple of days… I could tell you that I was busy, but that would be a lame excuse. The truth is, I was afraid."

Caroline lifted her head in curiosity. "Afraid of what?"

After another sigh, Klaus cleared his throat. "Well, I have to admit, I've liked you so much since the first time I saw you. And after our two dates, I've grown to like you even more. And then I left. We did talk on the phone almost every day since that, but… I was afraid that you considered me your friend. I was afraid that you… That you didn't feel the same about me. I was actually almost sure of it," he scratched the back of his neck, refusing to look at Caroline.

All that Caroline could give him in response was a laugh. A snort, actually. He looked up, searching for an answer on her face.

"The funny thing is…" she finally said, "I thought the same way about you. After you stopped calling me, I just figured that you've replaced me with some prettier, hotter and less paranoid London chick," she felt the redness coming to her cheeks. "I don't consider you as my friend, Klaus. I'm crazy about you," she said the last few words quietly, but he could still hear her. Her heart was beating so hard that she thought it might jump out of her chest. Her cheeks were burning.

Slowly, Caroline fixed her gaze on Klaus and realized that he was staring at her. As their eyes finally met, Caroline froze.

And that was when he did it.

Their lips met in a kiss that made Caroline's skin shudder, her insides burn and forget everything that's ever existed in her mind. Well, everything except for him. She wrapped her hands tightly around his neck, making the kiss even more passionate. One of Klaus's hands was in her hair, his fingers tangled in the golden locks. The other one was rushing up and down Caroline's body, from her neck to her hips, making her shiver.

When they finally stopped to catch a breath, Klaus smiled, gently cupping her face. Caroline couldn't help but grin at him as she pressed her forehead to his.

* * *

><p>"Jenna? Jenna, where are you?" Elena called for her cousin after she walked into her apartment.<p>

"Je…" she froze when she saw a man in his underwear digging through Jenna's fridge. He didn't even notice that Elena was standing behind him until she cleared her throat. He turned around quickly, widening his eyes.

"Oh! Shit, I'm…" he stared at Elena, completely confused and wordless. Elena stared back, not just because he was a naked man in Jenna's kitchen, but also because he seemed oddly familiar to hair. Tall, hot, blue eyes, messy hair, two-day beard… And then it hit her. Alaric Saltzman, Jenna's boss. Well, one of them, at least.

Elena opened her mouth to break the silence between them, but she was interrupted by Jenna who rushed into the kitchen in an oversized shirt and panties. She stopped when she saw her cousin, her expression the same as Alaric's.

"Elena! Hi…" Jenna's gaze went from Elena to Alaric, who still hasn't said a word. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming today and…"

Elena was trying to suppress a laugh, but so far, she was failing in the attempt. "No, it's okay, I didn't knock, I should've…" she snorted, "I should've known better. I'm going to go now and… Uhm, leave you two to…" not finishing her sentence, Elena turned around and stormed out of the door. As soon as she was out in the hallway, she burst out into laughter. She was happy about Jenna, but also amused by the fact that she just saw Alaric Saltzman in nothing but his boxer shorts. And among everything, she regretted her decision to visit Jenna instead of going home after work.

* * *

><p>Caroline walked into Elena's office, still tingling from last night and wondering if that feeling will ever go away. She hoped not.<p>

"Hey!" she beamed at her friend who was sitting at her desk, wearing a concerned look on her face.

"Hey, Care," Elena's look drifted from her computer to the blonde.

"I'm brining breakfast since you seem to busy to do it yourself," Caroline put the box she'd been carrying on the desk and threw herself on the chair facing Elena.

"Aww, you're so sweet," Elena smiled at her. "Are those donuts?" her eyes widened.

"Yep. And fresh coffee, still hot," Caroline handed her one of the cups she was holding.

"Thank you. I don't know what I would do without you," Elena grabbed the donut from the box and took a large bite.

"Oh, I know I'm the best," Caroline said cheerfully.

"Someone's in a good mood today," the brunette exclaimed, her mouth still full. "I can imagine who's responsible for that," she smiled, reaching for the coffee.

Caroline grinned and took a sip of her cappuccino. "He came back yesterday."

Elena stopped chewing and looked at her friend in shock. "Really? And what happened?"

"Uhm," her blonde friend blushed, "we kissed."

"Finally! How was it?"

"Amazing! I can't wait to see him again."

"And when will you see him again?" Elena asked, taking another donut. "You should start eating or you'll have nothing left, by the way."

Caroline laughed. "Tonight. I'm so excited!" she reached for the donut, accepting Elena's suggestion. "You, on the other hand, look wrecked. What's going on?"

"Well, you, my dear, are starting a relationship. And I'm doing something completely opposite," Elena shifted in her chair.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm breaking up with Matt tonight."

* * *

><p>Elena walked into the coffee shop with a heavy weight on her chest. She stood on her toes, skimming the crowd. When she found Matt sitting in their booth, she started walking slowly toward him.<p>

A smile on his face when he saw her made Elena feeling even guiltier, if that was even possible. She sat next to him and he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"What's up? You look kind of sad," Matt said, giving Elena a worried look.

She took a deep breath and looked straight into his crystal blue eyes. "I'm going to do this quick. Like removing a bandage."

"Uh-oh. I think I can see where this is going," Matt's look dropped.

"Let me just say it. I'll be fast, I promise. Even though I'd love to, I'm not going to use clichés on you. It would make things a lot easier, but it wouldn't be fair to you. You and I… This isn't working. You probably realize that too," Elena put her hand into his.

Matt nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"And I really, honestly think that we would be better as friends. I adore you and you're one of the best people I know and it would be very hard for me to lose you. I believe that we could be great friends. Or we can just stop every contact with each other, if that's what you want. It's up to you."

Matt took a deep breath. He was playing with Elena's fingers. When he lifted his head, he was smiling, but Elena could see a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.

"No, I don't want to stop every contact with you, Elena," he laughed. "I'm not dumb, I saw where this was going. We just aren't meant for each other, it's nobody's fault. And I want to be your friend."

"Hug?" Elena spread her arms, grinning. As Matt wrapped his arms around her, she felt that awful weight falling off her chest.

* * *

><p>Elena decided to take a walk home since it was a Friday night and she would probably have to wait too long for a taxi. She was glad that she finally told Matt what's been bothering her for a while now. Maybe he was faking it, but it seemed to Elena that he wasn't heart broken. She was really afraid that she would hurt him, but she was happy too see that Matt took it well.<p>

Elena was lost in her thoughts when she heard someone calling her name.

She turned around and saw Damon with some girl.

"Damon?" Elena smiled, surprised to see him. She opened her mouth to say hello to him, but she stopped when she recognized the girl standing next to Damon. Short brown hair, big blue eyes and a playful smile.

"Rose."

* * *

><p><strong>What the hell is Rose doing here? <strong>

**I guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out :) **

**I hope you liked this chapter and that the wait wasn't too long... **

**Thank you for reading and please, REVIEW, let me know what you think! **

**Love you all xo**


	7. To old friends

_Wow, I didn't expect to post this so soon, but I've had this chapter in my head for a long time and it was really easy to write it. _

_I really hope you'll like it! _

_Don't forget to review! :) _

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><p>"Elena! Hi!" Rose exclaimed with a huge grin on her face. Catching Elena by surprise, she threw her arms around her.<p>

_"__Okay, girls, I've had enough of this crappy music, I'm changing it," Elijah, Rose's boyfriend said with annoyance in his voice. _

_"__No!" all three of them yelled in the same time._

_"__Elijah, that is not crappy music. You can't just change the radio station when the Spice Girls are on," Rebekah said to her brother from the back seat. _

_"__Hey! Don't you roll your eyes, mister!" Rose, who was sitting on the front next to him, punched him lightly in the shoulder. _

_"__Ugh, I should know better than to drive a car full of girls," the only boy in the car frowned._

_Elena and Rebekah exchanged glances and burst out laughing. It was always fun to hang out with Rose and Elijah. They were seniors- two years older than Rebekah and Elena who were in the same class. They've been dating for a long time and Elena always thought that they were going to marry each other one day and have kids. _

_Girls started singing loudly, making Elijah join them after a couple of moments. _

_"__Elijah, watch out!" Rose shouted suddenly. After that, Elena heard creak of the brakes and a loud bang. And then it all went black. _

_When Elena woke up, the car was upside down and all she could hear was Rose screaming Elijah's name in panic. She could smell twisted metal and fire around her. When she looked left, she saw Rebekah covered in blood. She tried to free herself and help her friend, but instead of breaking free from the seatbelt, Elena felt terrible pain in her head and she passed out one more time._

"I haven't seen you for ages! You look great!" Rose said when they pulled away from each other.

"You too," Elena grinned. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting Damon," she smiled. "We just headed to his house to catch up, you should come!"

"Oh, no, thanks for the invite, but I should go home."

"Come on, Elena," Damon said behind Rose. "Live a little. You can't possibly refuse a reunion," he smirked.

Elena opened her mouth to protest one more time, but instead Damon grabbed her arm and started dragging her to his car.

_Elena woke up to the beeping sound of machines. She recognized the smell of hospital. When she slowly opened her eyes, she saw her father sleeping on the chair next to her and her mother sitting on the other side, holding her hand. _

_"Elena! Oh my God, Grayson! She's awake!" tears shone in Miranda's eyes as she leaned over her daughter. "Elena, honey, how are you feeling?"_

_Elena wished she could answer that question. She wasn't sure how to feel. Happy that she's alive, freaked out because she's just been in a car accident, worried about her friends? She felt all of that. _

_Instead of responding to her mother, Elena just started crying when she remembered Rose's screams, Rebekah covered in blood, the smell of fire… _

_"Hey, it's okay, you're safe now," her mother said, hugging her and caressing her hair as Elena sobbed in her shoulder. _

_"Oh, sweetie," she heard her father who sounded relieved. She squeezed his hand when he grabbed hers. _

_When she finally managed to calm down, she asked "How are the others?" _

_Grayson's look dropped and Miranda let out a deep breath.  
>"Mom… Tell me," Elena said, her voice trembling. <em>

_Just when her mother lifted her head, the door opened and Rebekah rushed in. Her face was bruised, her arm broken, but otherwise she seemed fine. Elena felt a small weight falling from her chest. Rebekah threw her arms around Elena and started sobbing. _

_"Bekah… What's going on?" Elena asked, terrified of what's her friend going to say. She rubbed Rebekah's back soothingly. _

_"It's Elijah… He's… He's dead, Lena," Rebekah managed to say between the sobs. Elena could almost hear the sound of Rebekah's world shattering. She was devastated when she heard the bad news and she couldn't even imagine how hard it must be for her friend. Loosing Jeremy would be the end of her, Elena was sure of that. _

_"No…" Elena started crying too. "And what about Rose?" she asked quietly. _

_"Rose has suffered a concussion and she has a few broken ribs, but she will be fine," she heard her mother behind them. _

_As she felt her friend shaking under her arms, Elena knew that after this, things won't be the same. Their lives will change a lot. Elena had no idea what will happen to all of them. But she was sure of one thing- she wasn't ready for this. _

From the inside, Damon's house was just as it seemed from the outside- huge, with antique furniture, wooden windows and expensive-looking rugs. It was the most beautiful house Elena's ever seen.

"Okay, girls, I'm going to go change my clothes and then get us drinks," Damon said, loosening his tie. "Elena, make yourself at home. Rose, I don't think I have to tell you that," he winked and walked away.

Rose lead Elena to the couch, which also looked fabulous and expensive like everything else in the house.

"I feel so ashamed," Elena admitted, sitting next to Rose. "I won't stay long, I promise."

"What are you talking about? What are you ashamed of?" Rose looked at Elena with a puzzled look on her face.

"For coming here… Just one drink and I'm going home. I hate to be the third wheel," Elena said, looking down.

"Elena. I still have no idea what you're talking about," Rose said flatly with her British accent that Elena always loved. She wished she could talk like that.

"Aren't you and Damon like… a thing?"

At first, Rose looked at her like she was crazy. "No, we're not a thing," she laughed. "We're best friends. We've never been anything other than that. I live in New Jersey, you know. I come in New York every couple of months just to check up on this idiot. I have a husband who I love very, very, very much," she smiled. "His name's Slater. We're actually planning to have a child soon."

"Wow, I had no idea. That's great, congratulations!" Elena smiled, feeling embarrassed for making wrong assumptions.  
>"Yeah, it is great," Rose grinned. After a couple of moments of silence, her grin faded. "You know, after Elijah died… I didn't think I could love again. Hell, I didn't think I could live anymore," there was pain all over her face as the old memories came back. As she was talking, Elena felt a sting in her heart.<p>

"But, even though it was hard, I've managed to carry on, as you can see. Actually, Damon was the one who helped me get through that."

"What do you mean?" Now Elena was the one looking confused.

"Since Damon always hung out with Elijah, he was also shocked by his death. It was really hard for the both of us, but we stuck together. If it hadn't been for Damon, I don't think I'll be sane as I am now. He helped me so much after the accident. He took care of me, comforted me, he was my rock… We've been friends before that, but it was never like that. And since then, we're inseparable."

When Rose finished talking, Elena stared at her for a couple of moments. "Wow… I… I never realized…"

"That that side of him existed?" Rose finished Elena's sentence for her, smirking. "Neither did I, until I saw it in him. There's more to him than you think. You'll see it soon, if you haven't already."

Elena smiled, knowing exactly what Rose was talking about. She and Damon don't know each other for a long time and there hasn't really been a lot of opening up from his side, but she saw the good in him. She knew that he was hiding behind that sassy and incredibly handsome façade.

"What are you gals talking about?" Damon entered the living room, carrying a bottle of bourbon and three glasses. He wore a smirk on his face, as always.

"You, actually," Rose smiled at him.

"Do I want to know?" he frowned.

"I don't think you do," Elena laughed. She hoped they couldn't see that she was blushing a little bit.

Elena shook her head when Damon offered her a drink. "Nope. Not a chance. I'm not drinking alcohol tonight."

Both Rose and Damon stared at her like she's gone nuts.

"Yes, you are," Damon rolled his eyes.

"Damon, no. You've seen me drunk. Whenever I drink, it does not end well."

"Oh, come on, Elena, one drink, for old friends," Rose said.

"Yeah, Elena, live a little," Damon threw herself on the couch next to Elena, giving her a little nudge.

She rolled her eyes and took the glass from him. "For old friends," she raised the glass and drank it all in one gulp.

* * *

><p>"There you are. I've searched the whole house," Elena leaned against the door frame of Damon's bedroom, crossing her arms. She smiled at the view of him lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.<p>

"I wanted to get up, but I couldn't," he said, stumbling on his words.

Elena laughed a little. It was funny to see Damon drunk.

"Where's Rose?"

"She passed out on the couch," Elena said, crossing the room to stand next to the bed.

"That doesn't surprise me," Damon smirked.

"Well, I'm going to head home. I think I've had enough partying for the whole month."

Just when she turned around to leave, she felt Damon's hand gently grabbing her wrist.

"Are you crazy?" he raised his head and focused his look on Elena. "You can't drive in this condition. You've been drinking. A lot."

"Fine, then I'll take a cab," she shrugged.

"No, Elena. Don't go. Stay. I have a lot of spare rooms, as you can see," he said convincingly, still holding her wrist.

At first, Elena hesitated. But after some thinking, she realized that it's a bad idea to go home alone at 4 am. "Fine, I'll stay. Thanks," she smiled.

"That's better," he smirked. Just when she was about to turn and walk away, Damon pulled her to the bed next to him. Elena lost her balance and found herself lying so close to him that she could feel his breath on her face.

For a moment, they just laid there in silence. It was nice to be so close to him. He smelled like bourbon and cologne which made Elena wish she was even closer. Elena's heart fluttered a little and, if she wasn't tipsy, she would probably be ashamed for getting that sort of feeling. But now she just didn't care. She just knew that she loved being near him. In that moment, their business relationship didn't matter. They were just Damon and Elena, lying next to each other, both a little drunk and without a care in the world. And in that moment, Elena remembered how good it felt to _live a little._

"I never knew about that…" Elena broke the silence, remembering Rose's words. "What you did for Rose. After the accident."

"Yeah, well, it never came up," Damon said, frowning.

"Oh, Damon," Elena sighed, running a hand through Damon's hair. It was soft and silky and Elena felt like she could do that all day. It was probably the alcohol that made her do such a bold move, but for once in her life, she didn't think of what she was doing. And it felt really good.

"Why don't you let people see that side of you?" she asked, smiling. "The one that Rose saw… And the one that I saw, for a moment."

Damon stared at Elena's eyes, like he was searching for something. "I have some trust issues, as you can probably see. I don't really… Open up to a lot of people because I don't trust them."

"So does that mean that you trust me?" her hand dropped at his cheek, his skin warm against her skin.

"I guess it does," he smiled. And it wasn't one of his smirks that were sometimes really annoying. It was a genuine smile. There really was more to him. Rose was right. "I knew from the moment I met you that you were… Special. You aren't like the other people. That's why I like you."

Elena smiled, moving her hand from his cheek. He stopped her and placed his hand in hers. She froze when he linked their fingers together. Elena felt warmth spreading through her whole body.

Somewhere in the back of her brain, Elena knew that she should get up and go to one of the spare rooms he promised. She knew that what she was doing was wrong and that she shouldn't get attached to her clients.

But she refused to listen to the voice of conscience. Instead, for once, she decided to listen to her heart. How could something like this be wrong when it feels so right?

Elena couldn't stop her eyes from closing. Before drifting off to sleep, she heard Damon whispering "Sweet dreams."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, I have to say that this is my favorite chapter so far and I've really enjoyed writing it. <strong>

**Delena is finally bonding! Aww :) **

**So you've all been wondering about the conection between Damon and Rose and Rose and Elena... Well, here is your answer and I hope you like it! I guess most of you are relieved. **

**I hope you've enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! Please review, let me know what you think. **

**Love you all xo**


	8. Breakfasts and lunches

_Heyyyyyy lovies! _

_So I had a writer's block for a couple of days and this chapter was basically created in the last two days and I hope you'll like it :) _

_Don't forget to review! _

* * *

><p>Elena woke up to the rays of sunshine filling the room. She must've slept pretty long. Letting out a yawn, she started to stretch, but she stopped when she realized that she wasn't in her bedroom.<p>

It took Elena a couple of moments to remember events from last night.

She remembered the warmth of Damon's body next to her, the gentle squeeze of his hand in hers and the softness of his voice as her eyes lingered.

She was in Damon Salvatore's bed.

Only Damon wasn't next to her. For a moment, Elena hoped that she dreamt of Damon lying next to her. It would be easier if she did.

Slowly and carefully, Elena got up, picked up her shoes from the floor, hoping that she could snuck out of the house without Damon noticing. She went down the stairs on her tiptoes and just when she was about to open the front door, someone cleared their throat behind her.

_Damn it. _

"You trying to sneak out on me, Gilbert?"

Elena turned around to see Damon standing in the hallway, his eyebrows up and his arms crossed across his chest. He was wearing sweat pants and white T-shirt. His hair was even messier than usual. He looked so distractingly hot. Elena bit her lip, refusing to make an eye contact with him.

"No…" she played with her nervously.

He smirked and slowly started moving towards her.

Elena gulped as she felt him getting closer. He smelled so good. She assumed that he's just walked out of the shower because his hair was still damp.

"Look, Damon, I really need to go home," Elena said, her voice shaking. She opened the door, but somehow, Damon appeared behind her and closed the door. Elena slowly turned around and came face to face with him. Damon's hand was still on the door and his arm was touching Elena's shoulder. She breathed heavily as they stared at each other's eyes for one incredibly long moment.

"Why?" Damon whispered with a smirk on his face.

He was so damn irresistible and it was difficult for Elena to fight the urge to kiss him. She shrugged. "I shouldn't have even stayed," she let out a breath.

"Why?" he repeated, tilting his head a little bit.

"Because…" she stopped for a moment. "Because I'm a lawyer, Damon. I'm supposed to be professional," there was confidence in Elena's voice now.

Damon removed his hand and stepped away from her. His face became serious and he waited for her to continue.

"And I don't think that getting drunk with my clients and spending a night in their bed is the definition of professional."

Damon rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Don't you roll your eyes on me!" she glared at him. "I'm serious. I'm not supposed to get too… attached to my clients."

"Oh, Elena…" Damon sounded annoyed. "Why do you have to be so uptight?"

"I am not uptight!" she raised her voice, her face flushed with anger. "Those are the rules, I can't just go and break them like that, it's _my job _to follow the rules! Or did you forget that?"

"Oh my God, Elena, it's not like we had sex!" he was almost shouting now. "You're exaggerating."

Elena took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to calm down. "I'm not in the mood to fight, Damon. I'm just going to go home."

"You're not going anywhere," he said determinately.

"OH MY GOD,STOP!" Elena yelled. "I just told you I don't want to fight and you're still not giving up?!"

"I don't want to fight either," he shrugged. "What I'm trying to say is that you're not leaving my house before I feed you," a smirk played in the corner of his mouth.

Elena stared at him for a moment and then smiled. "You're impossible," she shook her head. He was now smiling at her and Elena caught herself gazing in his hypnotic eyes again. It was simply impossible to stay mad at him.

"Come on, let's make you breakfast," he said, guiding her to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"Are you planning to tell me what was all that for?" Damon said, bringing a fork in his mouth. They sat in Damon's fabulous kitchen, eating Damon's delicious pancakes.<p>

Elena glared at him and reached for her mug. "You know what was that for."

"Yeah, I know, the rules," he rolled his eyes. "But I haven't heard of a rule which says that forbids you to hang out with me," he said, chewing on his pancake.

Elena sighed, taking a sip of her coffee. "Let's not talk about that now, okay?"

Damon smirked.

"What?" Elena asked, annoyed. Her look went from her plate to Damon.

"Oh, it's nothing… It's just…" he put his elbows on the table, leaning closer to Elena. "Your walls are so high up, Elena. You should let them down a little more often, like you did last night."

When he noticed Elena's puzzled look, he said "You know what I mean, don't pretend like you don't. You were relaxed and free and fun…" he smirked. "It's not often that you're like that, I like it when you are."

"And what, you resent me when I'm not?" she joked.

"No, I always like you. I just love to see your walls down, that's all," Damon raised his look and smiled at her.

* * *

><p>Elena had mixed feelings about Mondays.<p>

She usually loved them. It was the day when the office was filled with people more than any other day. Everything was bursting with life. Lawyers rushing to their meetings, secretaries carrying drinks, some of them occasionally tripping and making Elena laugh… It was the environment Elena felt safe in.

And sometimes, very rarely, there were Mondays she hated for interrupting her awesome weekends. And last weekend was really something.

It took her the rest of the Saturday to recover from drinking party with Damon and Rose. Normally she would feel guilty for doing something like that and letting herself go, but this time she really didn't care.

It was all Damon's fault. He made her bad.

_Live a little. _

And it felt pretty damn good.

Elena took a sip of her coffee. It was her third cup and it wasn't even noon. She's barely eaten anything for breakfast and her stomach was very unhappy about it. Thank God it was almost lunch time.

When she looked through the glass office wall, Elena saw her blonde friend rushing toward her door. She burst in, her high heels pounding on the shiny wooden floor.

"Elena!" when Caroline came closer, Elena realized she had her serious face on. "Where the hell have you been? I've called you like a thousand times this weekend!" Caroline's face was flushed with anger.

"I know, Care, I'm so sorry…" Elena wasn't bothering to explain her why she didn't pick up her phone. Caroline knew her too well and if Elena tried to tell a lie, her friend would see right through her. The truth was, she didn't feel picking up her phone. She shut the rest of the world out and spent her Sunday lying around in bed.

But of course, she couldn't tell that to Caroline.

Caroline flipped her blonde curls back and sat next to Elena, shifting nervously in her chair.

"There's something you want to tell me," a smirk played on Elena's face. She knew that her best friend can't stay mad at her for more than a minute.

For a couple of more moments, Caroline refused to look at her, but she finally gave in. Letting out a deep breath, she turned to Elena, excitement all over her face.

"Klaus and I… We…" her face turned bright red.

Elena's jaw dropped. "You did it!"

A small smirk appeared on Caroline's face.

"Finally!" Elena smiled, nudging her friend's arm. "How was it?"

"A-mazing!" was all that Caroline said, but her facial expression told Elena more than enough.

Elena grinned, but her smile dropped when she checked her watch.

"Oh, crap, look at the time! I have to go," she quickly stood up and grabbed her bag, kissing Caroline on the cheek.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm meeting Damon for lunch," Elena said, searching for her phone.

"Damon Salvatore?" Caroline sounded shocked.

"Of course."

"I hope it's a business meeting."

"Why?" Elena stopped to look at her friend whose face turned serious again.

"Well, I've heard some things about him. Besides, he doesn't really seem like a nice guy."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up. You don't know even know him, Caroline." She had the need to defend Damon. When the hell did that happen?

"Oh, and you suddenly know him so well?" Caroline crossed her arms over her chest and gave her a judgy glare.

"I don't really want to have this conversation now, Care. I'll see you later. Bye," without bothering to hear what her friend has to say in return, Elena turned around and walked out of the door, feeling a little bit pissed.

"Elena! Hi!" Jenna exclaimed cheerfully before Elena could even see her. Her cousin was sitting at her desk, but she stood up to hug Elena.

"Look, I'm really sorry, but I can't have lunch with you today, I have some work to do…" Jenna shifted nervously from one foot to the other.

"Oh, I'm not here to have lunch with you," Elena laughed a little. "I'm here to have lunch with Damon."

"Oh," Jenna's eyes narrowed.

"Please, don't give me that look," Elena rolled her eyes. "It's a friendly meeting. Besides, I don't think you're the right person to judge since, you know… You're screwing your boss and all…"

"Elena!" Jenna looked ashamed. She turned around, making sure no one heard Elena.

"Oh, right, when were you planning to tell me about that?" Elena smirked, putting one hand on her hip.

Just when Jenna opened her mouth to response, Damon appeared behind them.

"Hey," Elena smiled at him. A warm feeling spread all over her body when she saw him. Elena immediately felt guilty for that.

"Hi," he smiled back, ignoring Jenna completely. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Elena said, giving Jenna one last naughty glare before taking Damon's arm and turning around to leave.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Salvatore, I think we should talk about work for a change," Elena said, bringing the fork full of pasta to her mouth. "The case isn't going to solve itself, you know." The food tasted heavenly. When Damon picked some fancy restaurant, Elena was about to complain, but after trying the food, all complains disappeared.<p>

Damon groaned, taking a sip of his red wine. This was the first time Elena saw him drinking something that isn't bourbon. She, on the other hand, drank water. She had clients to go back to after lunch and they probably wouldn't be too happy if she came to the meeting drunk.

"Here we go, again with the boring stuff," he rolled his eyes.

Elena raised her look from the plate and glared at him. "Damon, I'm serious. Our next trial is just ten days away."

"And we still have nothing," he sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"I'm going to go through the pre-nub once more. I must've missed something. There has to be a loophole. There's always a loophole," Elena said.

"Oh, I doubt that," there was bitterness in Damon's voice. "Knowing Katherine and her father, that contract is perfectly made. Everything's probably in her favor."

"We'll find something," Elena felt the need to take his hand.

Damon shook his head and let out a breath. "I can't believe how stupid I was. I never should've signed that shit. So, so stupid…"

"You weren't stupid. You were in love. There's a difference," Elena's voice sounded distant, like she was thinking deeply about something.

"Yeah, well, so far love has brought me nothing but problems," Damon emptied his glass and poured himself some more wine.

"And what about you? Do you believe in love?" he snapped Elena out of her trans.

She looked at him and shrugged. "I don't know… I don't really let myself love for real, you know… I guess I'm afraid of getting my heart broken," this was the first time Elena said that out loud.

Damon took her empty glass and poured some wine in it. "Well, here's to all the losers of the world," he smirked, raising his glass.

Elena couldn't help but smile at him. She took a sip of the wine which tasted expensive.

Suddenly, Elena was overwhelmed by the strong smell of female perfume. She heard the sound of high heels behind her. And then she appeared.

"Hello, Damon."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, I think you all probably know who that is :) <strong>

**Please review, let me know what you think! I love reading your opinions on this story! **

**Thanks for reading and I promise that the next chapter will be out sooner!**

**Love you all, xo**


	9. In sickness and health

_Hello!_

_Responses to the last chapter were amazing, I want to thank you all soooo much! _

_Well, here it is, chapter 9. It's a little shorter than usual, but I've tried to update the story as soon as possible and I hope you guys don't mind. _

_Don't forget to review :) _

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><p>Katherine looked as glamorous as the first time Elena saw her. She was wearing black skinny jeans, high boots and tight dark purple top which made her boobs look huge. It was unbelievable how, without even saying a word, Katherine made Elena feel worthless and small.<p>

"Katherine," Damon said flatly, showing no specific emotion. He was great at keeping it together.

"It's so nice to see you," she said with a fake grin, one hand on her hip.

"What do you want?" he gritted his teeth, refusing to look at his soon to be ex wife.

"Nothing, I just saw you and came to say hello," Katherine leaned forward, her breasts almost falling out of her top. Her goal was probably to make Damon stare at her, but he just rolled his eyes.

"Well, you did. Bye now."

She puckered her lips. "Why so mean, Damon?" she came a little closer to him and placed her hand on his chest. He took a deep breath and gripped the table cloth with his fingers, trying not to show his anger.

"Why don't you do us a favor and get out, Katherine?" Elena's voice was firm behind them.

Katherine slowly turned around and narrowed her eyes, looking down on Elena. "Ooh, you've got yourself a feisty bitch, Damon. I didn't think she had some guts."

Elena saw Damon's face turning red and his knuckles turning white.

"I mean, just looked at her. She looks like something that cat dragged in," as Katherine talked, Damon's face was turning more red. "Is she really capable of defending you?" she turned around to him. "You might as well just give up."

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Damon mumbled.

"Okay, you've proven your point. Now get lost," Elena said, her big brown eyes piercing through Katherine.

"Fine. I'm leaving. But I'll be seeing you two very soon," Katherine swayed her hair.

"Goodbye, Damon," one evil smirk appeared on her face before she turned around to leave.

When she was out of their sight, Damon's grip loosened a little bit.

"Elena, I think that you're going to have to defend me one more time after this," he said, anger and discomfort still on his face. "It'll be when I kill her."

Elena laughed a little, trying to wipe away the rest of the tension. "Oh, don't worry, Damon. I got a feeling that we'll get rid of her soon," she said slowly. "Without killing her," she added.

"And what makes you think that?" he asked suspiciously.

Elena sighed, reaching for her glass. "Call me old-fashioned, but I truly believe that justice always wins. And I don't think that justice is on Katherine's side this time," she locked her eyes with Damon's, hoping to calm him down. When she saw his shoulders relaxing, she felt relieved.

"Well, I think…" Damon started, but didn't finish the sentence. His look was focused on something- or someone- behind Elena. There was surprise all over his face. "Is that…" he leaned closer to see better. "Are that Ric and Jenna?"

Elena turned around to see her cousin and Alaric Saltzman walking into a restaurant. When they approached their table, Alaric pulled the chair out for Jenna, which earned him a huge grin and red cheeks from his date. Elena couldn't wait to give Jenna a lecture about not telling this to her. She was happy that Jenna was dating again, but she felt a little hurt because she was keeping it a secret.

"Yeah, that are they," Elena turned around to Damon who still looked shocked.

"What is Ric doing with my secretary?"

"I believe that they are on a date," she smiled.

"So you knew about this?" Damon asked curiously.

"Well, Jenna doesn't want to tell me anything, but… I caught them in her apartment the other day," a naughty smirk played on Elena's lips. "If you know what I mean…"

"Wow, Ric's getting laid, good for him," Damon let out a laugh. "But he's going to pay for not telling me about it. Did you finish your lunch?"

"Yeah, why?"

A smirk appeared on Damon's face as he stood up. Elena followed him and realized he's approaching their table.

"Hello, Alaric. Hello, Jenna."

"Damon, hi!" Alaric choked a little on his drink. "What are you doing here?"

"Just having lunch with my amazing lawyer here," he pointed to Elena, who blushed a little. "This is Elena Gilbert."

Elena shook hands with Alaric, who looked startled. "Elena, this is…" he started, but was interrupted by Elena.

"Jenna, I know," Elena decided to join Damon's game and tease them a little. "Jenna is my cousin," she grinned. "Is this your boss, Jenna?"

Jenna, who was red from head to toe, gave Elena intimidating glare. "Yep, this is my boss… Well, my other boss," she said, stumbling on her words.

"It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Saltzman."

When they were out of the restaurant, Elena giggled. "That was fun."

"I know," Damon smiled. "Who knows for how long they'd be keeping this a secret if we hadn't caught them."

"It's a good thing we did. Listen, I got to go back to work now, but I'll see you next week, okay? We have some things to discuss before the trial," Elena said, her face turning serious.

"Yeah, okay. I'll see you then," Damon placed a small kiss on Elena's face before he turned around to call a cab.

Elena started walking back to work. She grinned, without even noticing. Her heart was beating fast and everything inside of her was burning. How could a small peck be so powerful?

* * *

><p>There was a knock on the door. Elena raised her look from the papers.<p>

"Come in, Damon!" she yelled.

It took him ages to open the door and drag himself to her desk. He looked awful. His beautiful blue eyes were pale and weary, with bags under them. His nose was red and he moved like a zombie.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you sick?" Elena asked gently. There was concern in her voice.

Damon slowly shook his head. "Nope. I'm not sick, no," he said groggily.

Elena stared at him. "Yes, you are."

He sniffed and wiggled in his chair. "I am not sick," he emphasized every word.

"Ugh," Elena groaned, his stubbornness annoying her. She quickly stood up and crouched next to his chair so that her eyes could meet his. She gently placed her hand on his forehead. "Oh my God, Damon, you're burning up! Why the hell did you even get out of the bed this morning?"

"Because," he said, his voice cracking. "We have a trial in two days. And I can't stay in bed."

"Well, if you don't stay in bed, you won't get better. And if you don't get better, you won't be able to attend the trial. Is that what you want?"

"No," he pouted, looking like a 5 year old to Elena.

"All right, let's get you home then," she grabbed his arm and pulled him up. "There we go, grab my hand."

When they managed to get out of the building, Elena dragged Damon to her car and started driving him home. Even though he wanted to protest more, he was too weak.

"Now, lie on the couch and don't move," Elena said when they were in his house. She left her stuff on the table and disappeared in the kitchen.

"Okay, mom," Damon rolled his eyes and threw himself on his huge sofa.

Elena came back after some time, carrying a cup of tea. "Here, drink this tea and I'm going to make you some soup. Assuming you have some groceries."

"Thanks. And I do have groceries. Even though you might find that very hard to believe, I cook, you know," Damon smirked.

"Actually, I do find it hard to believe," she smiled.

His face turned a little more serious as he gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist. "You don't have to do this, Elena. You don't have to take care of me," he said, his fingers caressing her soft skin.

Elena shrugged. "I want to," her look was warm. "And I make one hell of a soup."

"Thank you," he smiled genuinely.

"You're welcome," she grinned and disappeared in the kitchen again.

* * *

><p>Elena smiled, putting a blanket on Damon. He was so adorable while he was sleeping. His usual sassy smirk was replaced with a blissful smile and he looked so vulnerable and innocent. She could watch him sleep all day long.<p>

Quietly, Elena placed herself on a comfortable armchair next to Damon and took his pre-nub in her hands. She let out a breath, hoping that she would find something this time. It would be so unfair if Katherine won.

When she managed to focus her mind on the contract, Elena started reading the first page.

* * *

><p>"Elena? Elena…" she heard a soft, whispering voice calling her name. Slowly, she opened her eyes and realized that she was still in Damon's living room.<p>

"Oh my God, did I fall asleep?" she asked Damon, who was still lying on the couch next to her.

"Yeah, it seems like you did," he laughed lightly.

Elena rubbed her eyes and looked at him. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am, actually. I think that delicious soup of yours might've worked."

"I told you so," she smirked. "Oh, right," she sat up. "I found something that might help you," she pointed on the contract.

"Really?" he came closer to her.

"Yeah… It's not much, but it's something… I found a section which basically says that if you and Katherine decide to get divorced in first three years of marriage, the person who asked for divorce looses 10 more percent of their property."

"Wait… Katherine was the one who asked for divorce. That means…"

"That means that Katherine won't get half of your money, just 40% of it. It's still a lot more than she deserves, but it gives us some time to find something better."

"Wow, Elena, that's great! You're a genius, I completely forgot about that. It was probably her dad's idea, just in case that I ask for the divorce. It was one of many ways to rob me. But this time, Katherine's fallen inside of her own trap," a smirk played on Damon's lips.

"Just so you know, that doesn't mean that you should stop looking for evidence of her cheating you."

"I know, I know. That evil slut doesn't deserve a penny. I want to take everything away from her," Damon started getting up.

"Oh, no, no, no," Elena gently pushed him back on the couch. "You're not going anywhere, even if I have to chain you up myself."

"Oh, come on. I can't stay in bed for the whole day," he groaned.

"You have to if you want to get better for the trial on Thursday."

Damon shook his head. "You are a piece of work, Gilbert."

"But I'm also a genius."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I already said it once, don't make me say it again."

Elena laughed. For a couple of moments, they sat in comfortable silence until Damon tilted his head a little bit and looked at Elena seriously.

"What?" she asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking… You are really amazing, Elena. Not just as a lawyer, you're an amazing person. An amazing friend. Even though we don't know each other for a long time, I care about you. A lot. I want us to stay in touch even when this- the trial and everything- is over. Because," his look dropped. "Loosing you would kind of suck," he said shyly.

Elena smiled. His little speech brought a couple of tears in her eyes. It may not seem like a big deal, but it is when it comes from Damon. She knew very well that it's hard for him to express his feelings and something like this warmed up her heart.

"Yeah," she gently touched his hand. "Loosing you would suck too."

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><p><strong>More Delena bonding! Yay!<strong>

**I really hope you enjoyed reading this chapter because I enjoyed writing it! **

**Please review, let me know what you think, I love reading your thoughts on my story. And of course, if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask :) **

**You can also contact/follow me on Tumblr- **

**Love you all xo**


	10. Surprises

_No, you're not dreaming, this is the second update in a week haha :) _

_Let's just say that I've got a lot of free time since all of my exams are over and I'm able to work on the story a lot more often. _

_THANK YOU all so much for the support I'm getting! I love you all!_

_Anyways, I give you chapter 10. I hope you'll like it!_

_And don't forget to review- I enjoy reading your reviews, it means a lot to me! _

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><p>"I think," Elena said, playing with the olive in her empty martini glass, "that you have a lot of explaining to do." She looked up at Jenna, who shifted nervously in her seat.<p>

When Elena invited her favorite (and only) cousin to the girls' night out, Jenna sounded super excited about it since they haven't gone out together for a long time. It was Saturday and the club was crowded with people. Jenna and Elena were sitting at the bar, chatting casually. Elena had just finished her first drink while Jenna was drinking her third glass of Cosmopolitan.

It was Elena's fault- she's decided to get Jenna a little tipsy before the interrogation begins.

"Look, Lena, I'm really sorry that I…" Jenna started, but she was cut off by Elena.

"I don't want your apologies. I want to know the details. What exactly is up with you and Alaric?" she nudged her cousin, a naughty smirk playing on her lips.

Jenna grinned and blushed a little. "I'm not sure I can answer that question. I don't know, to be honest," she shrugged.

"What do you mean, you don't know? Are you like… friends with benefits or are you a thing?"

"I don't know, Elena. All I know is that we're having a great time together. I love spending time with him and I really, really like him. But I don't want to be too pushy and drive him away. That's why I've decided not to define us just yet… I'm going to let him decide when, or if he's ready to take this to the next level," Jenna reached for her glass and took a large sip.

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Elena smirked.

Her cousin frowned, looking confused.

"Oh, Jenna, you know as well as I do that men aren't very good at expressing their feelings… It might take him more than you think to… You know, pour his heart to you. I think that you're going to have to be the one who's going to _define_ your relationship."

Jenna shrugged. "I don't know… We'll see, I guess. But this is all still fresh, we've been seeing each other for less than two months. We're just having fun for now."

"That's good. Funis good. Just out of curiosity, how exactly good is he at _having fun_?" Elena wiggled her eyebrows which earned her a glare from Jenna.

"He's great at it, just so you know," Jenna said proudly, raising a hand to call a waiter. When he came, she ordered another round of drinks for both of them.

"That's awesome, you deserve some good sex," Elena laughed.

Jenna punched her cousin's arm. "Can you say that a little louder? I think the people outside didn't hear you," she shot one more glare at Elena.

* * *

><p>"Alright, if no one has nothing more to add," the judge said, looking annoyed, "I would like to finish today's trial. Mr. Salvatore, miss Gilbert," his eyes went from Damon to Elena, "the next time we see each other, I want to see some valid evidence or miss Pierce here gets 40% of Mr. Salvatore's property. I will see you all in four weeks."<p>

When Damon and Elena walked out of the courtroom, a proud grin was on Damon's face.

"Did you see her face? Oh my God, it was awesome," he exclaimed as they were making their way out through the crowd of lawyers.

Elena laughed. "I know, right? That bitch didn't see that coming," as the realization hit her, a frown appeared on her face. "But 40% is still a lot of money, Damon."

"You don't think I know that?" the smile was wiped from his face and his muscles tightened. "It's my fault, I know. I told you that I could find a proof and I've still got nothing."

Elena opened her mouth to encourage him, but she decided to be realistic. "Look, I'm going to be honest with you, Damon…" she said, running a hand through her hair. "If we don't find anything better in these four weeks… Well, you know what happens then. I really think that the next trial is our last chance," she sighed.

He nodded, his face turning serious. "I know."

They remained silent for some time, both of them thinking deeply.

Elena became so absent that she didn't even notice when they reached the stairs. She stepped forward and tripped, loosing balance and preparing to fall. But instead of hitting the ground, Damon grabbed her on time and steadied her.

Her thoughts instantly went on that night in the Grill. Damon's strong arms beneath her body, his hypnotic eyes piercing through her, his scent overwhelming her and the warmth of his skin against hers. He was so hot it hurt Elena to be so close to him.

"Hmm," Damon mumbled, looking amused. "I think this reminds me of something," he smirked.

Elena pulled herself together and stood straight, his arms still on the small of her back. "Yeah, but this time I'm not drunk," she let out a laugh. "This is just the product of my clumsiness."

He laughed, sending goosebumps all over Elena's body. She loved to hear his laugh. He didn't laugh very often, but when he did, it warmed her heart.

"Let's go grab a drink," he said, offering Elena his arm. "Here, so you don't fall again."

* * *

><p>"Oh my God, I'm so tired and it's not even noon. Seriously, this case I'm working on- it's going to kill me," Caroline walked into Elena's office and threw herself on the small couch.<p>

"You want some coffee? I just picked it up and I was about to bring it to you," Elena said, handing her friend a cup. "With extra cream, just the way you like it."

"Thank you, you are a life saver," Caroline smiled, taking the coffee from the brunette gratefully. "So, what's up? How did the trial yesterday go?" she asked, sinking deeper into the couch.

Elena took a sip of her own coffee and sighed. "It went well, it's just… We still don't have any valid proof of Katherine cheating on Damon. And if we don't find it in four weeks… Well, we're screwed."

Caroline frowned and eyed Elena suspiciously. "And how can you be so sure that she cheated on him?"

"Because he told me so," Elena said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The blond narrowed her eyes. "Oh, so Damon told you so and you, Elena Gilbert, who looks for a proof in everything, believed him just like that?" she crossed her arms across her chest.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Yes, I believed him, Caroline. I know that he's not lying. Besides, that bitch looks like she is capable of doing anything, especially cheating."

"God, Elena, how can you be so naïve?" Caroline threw her arms up in annoyance.

"I am not naïve. I just trust him, that's all," Elena shrugged. "Okay, I think you need to leave now," she said, her look focused on something outside of her office.

"Come on, Lena… I don't want to fight, I'm just trying to protect you from getting hurt," Caroline started to defend yourself.

Elena laughed. "I'm not throwing you out, Care. But seriously, you need to leave. Look," she pointed her finger at Klaus who was standing outside.

A grin spread across Caroline's face. "Okay, I really need to leave," she beamed. "You're coming to The Pub tonight, right?"

"Well, it is Friday," Elena smiled at her.

"Great, then I'll see you later!" her friend said cheerfully before she turned around to leave.

When she approached Klaus, Caroline threw her arms around his neck and placed a kiss on his lips. As she pulled back, Klaus grinned at her and gently stroked her hair.

As they were walking out of the office, Elena felt a sting of jealousy. She was really happy that her best friend finally found something like that, but she was also kind of sad that she still didn't find it.

Elena walked into The Pub, skimming the crowd for her friends. As usual, they were sitting in their favorite booth and Elena joined them. As she sat down, everyone greeted her cheerfully. Caroline was there and Klaus was sitting next to her, his arm around her shoulder. Tyler was with a girl that he's been dating for the last couple of weeks. If Elena remembered well, her name was Hayley. There were also a couple of other people from work and Elena started chatting with them.

"Um, Elena…" Caroline said awkwardly after some time. "Damon Salvatore just walked in. What the hell? I've never seen him here before."

Elena cleared her throat and eyed Caroline nervously. "Yeah, I kind of… I invited him," she said and looked at the door. Damon was standing there in his usual outfit- dark jeans and a black button-up shirt. Elena could almost feel his hotness from across the room. When she noticed that he was looking confused and lost, she waved at him, smiling.

"Just be nice, okay?" she shot a glare at Caroline who looked annoyed. The blonde rolled her eyes, but when Damon approached their table, she faked a grin.

"So… That went well," Elena said awkwardly. Damon was walking her home since it was almost midnight and he wouldn't let her walk on the streets of New York by herself, even though she protested.

Damon laughed. "They're not that bad. Caroline does talk _a lot, _but she's tolerable," he shrugged.

"Yeah, she does," Elena let out a laugh. "But I've gotten used to it by now."

"Hey," Damon said after spending some time in comfortable silence. "Did you manage to get some details out of Jenna? I've been nagging Ric about it for the whole week, but he's not really giving me details."

"Yeah, Jenna's not very talkative either. But she likes him a lot, I can see that all over her face."

"And the sex life is good, as is hear," Damon smirked.

"Yeah, it is," Elena replied. "Oh my God, I can't believe we're actually talking about their sex life," she laughed.

They kept talking casually all the way to Elena's apartment. When they were finally in front of her building, Elena wore a goofy smile on her face.

"What?" Damon asked, confused.

"Oh, it's nothing, just… You're great. I'm really glad I met you," she said sincerely, still smiling.

"Of course you are, everyone's glad they met me," Damon smirked, teasing. A couple of moments later, his face turned serious.

Elena tilted her head a little, gazing at his perfect blue eyes. They stared at each other for a moment until he stepped forward.

Damon was now so close to her that she could feel his warm breath on her face. He raised a hand, wrapping a lock of her dark brown hair around his fingers. Elena found herself shudder under his gentle touch. She felt warmth spreading through her body, starting from her heart.

When Damon cupped Elena's face in his hands, Elena snapped out of her trans.

"Damon, I…" she started to protest.

"Shh," he leaned closer, leaving almost no space between the two of them. Catching Elena by surprise, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Elena closed her eyes.

When he pulled back, a small smile appeared on his face. "Good night," he whispered. When Elena opened her eyes, he was already gone.

* * *

><p>Elena walked in the shower after a long and extremely hard day in work. She let her thoughts wander as the warm water was running down her spine, making every muscle in her body relax. After some time, she heard a violent knock on the door. It made Elena wince. Who the hell could be at the door on Tuesday night?<p>

Quickly, she put some close on and rushed to open the door as the knocks were becoming louder and louder. Someone obviously needed her.

As she opened the door, she gasped in surprise.

"Damon?"

* * *

><p><strong>Uh- oh, what does Damon need from Elena? <strong>

**I'm sorry that I left you with a cliffhanger, but the next chapter is coming soon so I hope you're not too mad at me :) **

**SPOILER- a lot of drama coming up! **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please, review, let me know what you think!**

**Love you all xo**


	11. Big revelations

_Hey guys!_

_You've all been wondering a lot about this chapter, some of you might've predicted what will happen. Well, here it is, the answer to all of your questions. _

_Again, I want to thank you all for reviewing, it means a loooot to me! Keep doing it! _

_Here we go, chapter 11.  
><em>

* * *

><p>He looked wrecked. There was a mix of emotions on his face. Anger, pain, disappointment, relief, anxiety... He leaned against the door frame, breathing heavily, probably because he's been rushing to Elena's apartment.<p>

"Hey, I know it's late," Damon said, letting out a breath, "but this is an emergency."

"Come in," Elena said, wondering what's so urgent that he had to come to her.

"Where's your computer?" he rushed inside.

Elena quickly brought her laptop and Damon opened it even faster.

"So, I remembered- I have no idea how stupid I was for not remembering it sooner- that I have cameras in front of my house," he said, pulling the flash drive out of his pocket and putting it in computer. "I figured it was worth of try and…" he opened a file from the flash drive. "Check this out."

Elena could see nothing in the first couple of seconds, but then two people appeared on the screen. They were laughing and Elena instantly realized that one of them was Katherine. The other was a man, but Elena couldn't see his face just yet. When the two started kissing, Elena's jaw dropped. This is it. They finally had a proof. After some time they pulled away and a man's face was now clear.

"Damon…" she whispered, shocked.

"Yeah," he said angrily through his teeth.

It was Stefan Fucking Salvatore.

Is there any more ways for that bastard to betray his brother and crush his heart into million pieces?

Elena was angry.

Very, very angry.

When she looked at Damon, she saw that he was on the verge of having a mental breakdown so she just shut the laptop and turned her body to him.

"Okay, we need a plan," she said determinately.

Damon looked confused. "What's there to plan, Elena? We just show this video on court- Katherine will loose everything, Stefan's lawyer career will probably be over and I don't have to see their impostor faces ever again."

Elena shook her head. "Oh, no, no, no, Damon. That's not how it goes."

"Why not?" he shrugged.

"Look… Yeah, I know that Stefan's a huge bastard and trust me, I would like to cut his throat or something like that right now, but he's still your brother. And if you destroy him now, you'll be sorry sooner or later."

Damon stared at her like she'd gone nuts. "I won't be sorry, Elena! He's not my brother anymore! Look what he did to me! How can I just get past that?" there was a lot of pain in Damon's voice.

"You can't. But there are other ways to do this."

"Oh, really? Tell me one."

A smirk played in the corner of Elena's lips. "Blackmail."

* * *

><p>When Elena checked her watch, she let out a sigh. It seemed to her like this day was lasting forever.<p>

"You look nervous," Caroline walked into her office.

"Probably because I am," Elena groaned.

"I brought lunch," the blonde smiled at her and dropped two containers of Chinese takeout on the desk.

"Great, I'm starving," Elena hastily reached for food.

"So, tell me what's up. Are you meeting Damon again?"

Elena glared at her. "What makes you think that I'm nervous because I'm meeting Damon?"

Caroline shrugged innocently. "Well, you tend to be nervous around men you like."

"I don't like Damon," Elena quickly replied.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "It's fine, Lena, you have every reason to be attracted to him. I mean, he _is _incredibly hot."

"I am not… Okay, he is hot, but he's also my client."

"God, Elena, just admit it!" her friend raised her voice in annoyance.

"I can't admit it, Caroline! Because if I admit it… If I even think about it… What kind of person does that make me?" Elena's look dropped. She felt ashamed.

A smile played in the corner of Caroline's lips. "A normal one."

Elena stared at her for some time. "Forget it, I don't want to talk about that," she shook her head. "And I am not nervous because I'm meeting Damon!"

"Then why are you nervous?"

* * *

><p>"Do you think they'll come?" Damon asked, tapping his foot against the wooden floor nervously.<p>

"Of course they'll come. They're curious," Elena said, leaning casually in her chair.

Damon took a sip of bourbon and checked his watch. "They won't come. They should've been here fifteen minutes ago. We should just drop all this and show the damn video to the judge." Elena could see his muscles tense.

She rolled her eyes, getting a little bit annoyed by Damon's paranoia. She looked at him. "I really need you to trust me on this, Damon. I am the lawyer here and believe me, I have some experience with cases like this. This will work. Okay?"

He reached for his glass and finished his bourbon. After staring at Elena for a couple of moments, he slowly nodded. "Okay."

Just when Damon raised his hand and called the waiter, Elena saw the door open. She held her breath as Katherine and Stefan entered the bar. It was a nice little bar. Damon chose it wisely. It was hidden in a small alley- just a place where they couldn't bump into their friends.

"Damon?" Elena called, her voice shaking a little bit.

"Huh?"

"Look."

"Okay, here we go," he took a deep breath and wiped every hint of emotion from his face.

As the two moved closer to their table, Elena's heart was pounding faster and faster.

"Just let me do the talking, okay?" she said, knowing that Damon could lose it if he even tries to talk to them.

"Mr. Salvatore," Elena shook Stefan's hand. "Ms. Pierce," when Elena extended her hand, Katherine just snorted, leaving Elena's hand hanging in the air. "Thank you for coming," she said when Stefan and Katherine sat down. "Would you like to order something?"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Oh, cut the crap and tell us what you want."

Elena's glance went to Damon for a second before her eyes focused on Katherine. "All right."

As Elena pulled her phone out of her pocket, Katherine and Stefan shared a confused and suspicious look. When she found what she was looking for, she pressed play and gave the phone to them.

Damon leaned back in his chair, smirking proudly. Expressions which Katherine and Stefan wore in that moment were priceless. There was a mix of shock, embarrassment and fear on their faces as they were watching.

"Okay, enough of this," Stefan said seriously. He leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. "What do you want from us?"

Elena licked her lips and crossed her legs. "Well… If you don't want this video to be shown to the judge on the next trial in three weeks, you will drop all the charges against my client," a triumphal smile played on her lips when Katherine looked at Stefan with panic on her face. "Basically, you either do that and leave with no money or you're both…"

"Screwed," Damon finished her sentence.

"This is blackmail," Katherine said angrily through her teeth.

Elena casually leaned back in her chair. "Call it whatever you want," she shrugged. "But the reality is that if this video gets out… That would be a great scandal. A lawyer involved with his client… Well, we're both lawyers, Mr. Salvatore, you probably now what would happen to your carrier. And I'm sure that then would be a lot more trials and we don't want that, do we?"

Stefan and Katherine shared a look before he stood up. "This is not over, just so you know," with that, they turned around and left.

"That was awesome!" Damon beamed at Elena when Stefan and Katherine were out of the bar. "They way you talked… Like all those villains in movies. You left them completely speechless!" his eyes glowed as he was talking.

Elena grinned proudly.

"I'm sorry that I doubted you. You were really great," Damon said, nudging her a little.

"Thanks. But as they said, this still isn't over. If they don't decide to quit everything…" Elena's look went away from Damon.

"Then we will show the damn video to the judge," Damon shrugged. "Anyways, we won, Elena," he stared at her, excitement all over his face.

Concern slowly faded from Elena's face and a grin appeared. "Yeah, I guess you could say we won."

"That's the spirit! Let's get you something to drink now, shall we?"

* * *

><p>"Seriously, Damon, you just need to stop getting me drunk!" Elena started laughing, but stopped when she tripped and almost fell. "And you can see why."<p>

"Come on, this is a special occasion. Oh, look, we're here," Damon said when they were in front of Elena's building.

Elena put her hand on her forehead and let out a deep breath. "Shit."

"What?"

"The elevator's broken. Now I have to use the stairs. I live on the third floor and that wouldn't be a problem if I was sober. I might as well just sleep down here," she said, stumbling on her words.

"You don't have to," Damon said and grabbed her in a second. He put one arm beneath her knees and the other one around her shoulders and started carrying her inside.

"You're insane," Elena laughed and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He smelled great as always.

She felt so safe and comfortable in his arms. She never wanted for that moment to end. But it did, unfortunately. Just as Elena's eyes began to linger, they were in front of her apartment. Damon slowly put her down and, instead of leaving, he stared at her for one very long moment.

Elena wasn't sure what to say so she just stared back. She still felt dizzy from the booze, but his beautiful eyes made her head spin even faster.

Damon looked like he was about to say something, but he changed his mind. He came even closer to her, cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers.

He really caught Elena by surprise, but even though she knew it was the wrong thing to do, she found herself kissing him back. She got completely lost in his touch. The kiss was short, but meant so much.

When Damon pulled back, Elena realized that she was still holding her breath.

"Damon…"

"I know, I know, you don't have to say anything," he whispered. "I just had to this. At least once," he pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. He stayed like that for some time and then sighed, like he didn't want to leave, but he knew he had to.

"Goodnight," he said and gave Elena one last look before he turned around to leave.

Watching Damon walking down the hallway, Elena leaned against the doorframe. She was still breathing heavily. She could still feel his soft lips against hers, his gentle touch on her cheeks and his warmth wrapping around her body.

She knew it was wrong. She was very aware of that.

She knew she shouldn't.

But she was falling for Damon Salvatore.

* * *

><p><strong>That's it for this chapter guys! I really hope you liked it because I've had it in my head for a long time. <strong>

**I know that you've all probably expected the first part, but I don't think you knew the ending was going to happen! **

**Yeah, the Elena and Caroline talk was a reference to 3x04... Couldn't help myself, I love that talk. **

**Just so you know, I am nowhere near the end with this story, I've got a lot more coming up! :) **

**I don't if I'll be able to update the next chapter very soon because my birthday is in a few days and I'm busy... But I'll try to finish it until the end of the next week... **

**Okay, enough babling, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to review!**


	12. Knock, knock

_Helloooo! _

_I am so, so, so incredibly sorry for not updating sooner I've just had a lot going on lately and had no time to write. _

_Thank you for all your support, keep doing it, review, it means so much to me!_

_Chapter 12 is finally here and I hope you'll like it!_

* * *

><p>Damon Salvatore woke up to the sound of loud knocking on the door.<p>

He slowly opened his eyes and dragged himself out of the bed, groaning. The knocking was becoming louder and louder. He checked the time- it was half past 7 am. He groaned one more time and came down the stairs in nothing but his boxer shorts.

When Damon opened the door, he saw Elena Gilbert standing in front of him. She was obviously pissed off.

Damon stood in front of her, shirtless and his hotness was so damn distracting that Elena almost forgot what she has to say to him. Her look stayed at his bare chest a little longer then it should, but she shook her head and came back to reality on time.

"What you did yesterday was extremely inappropriate and unprofessional," she said, one hand on her hip and anger burning in her eyes.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Well, hello to you, too. You want to come in?"

Elena threw her arms up, frustrated. "No, I don't want to come in!" she raised her voice. "I just came to tell you that what you did was…" she let out a breath, "wrong."

"I'm not sure that I know what you're talking about."

"Of course you know what I'm talking about, don't play dumb! Damon, you kissed me." "You didn't seem to mind," he was staring at her.

Elena rolled her eyes. "What if someone saw us?"

"No one saw us," Damon said, still showing no emotion.

"Yeah, but someone could've! Do you know what that would've done to my career? I mean, we just threatened Stefan and Katherine to expose them and ruin them completely and then did the exact same thing!" Elena threw her hands up, obviously frustrated.

Damon groaned and leaned his head against the door frame. "Just admit it, Elena. I'm not the only one here who has some unresolved feelings," he said, piercing her with his look. "And all this," he pointed an empty space between the two of them, "you're using all of this as an excuse to bury your feelings and push me away."

Elena rubbed her forehead, sighing. "Damon, you are my…"

"Your client, I know," he cut her off. "You've made that pretty clear to me about a thousand times," there was annoyance in his voice.

"And you still don't seem to get it!" she was almost yelling.

"Believe me, I get it… Rules and shit," he ran his fingers through his hair, sighing in frustration. "But it's impossible for me to stay away from you. And I'm pretty sure that it's hard for you to stay away from me, too. Is it?"

Elena's look went down and she remained silent. She played with her hair nervously.

"Okay," Damon nodded, making Elena look up again. "From now on, our relationship will be strictly professional," if what he was saying was painful to him, Damon was hiding it pretty well. "You don't have to see me or talk to me anymore unless it's related to work."

Elena shook her head. "No, Damon, that's not what I…"

"I'll be nothing more than your client," Damon interrupted. "If we're lucky, there's just one more trial to do and after that, we don't have to talk to each other ever again."

Damon's look was empty and Elena wasn't sure if he really meant what he was saying.

She gulped, blinking away a few tears that have magically appeared in her eyes. The thought of breaking every contact with Damon was unbearable.

Elena nodded slowly, feeling more tears coming to her eyes. "Fine. If that's what you want…" she whispered.

"That's how it's going to be," he said flatly, refusing to make an eye contact with her.

"Okay then. I'll see you on the court. If you need me, you know where to find me. Bye," she turned around and left. She could feel her heart breaking into million tiny pieces.

Damon regretted his decision as soon as Elena left. He regretted snapping at her. He regretted pushing her away from him. But he had no other choice. It was just easier to push her away than to stay friends with her and keep losing fights with his feelings day after day. He would break eventually, just like he did last night. The urge to kiss her was just too big. There was a tiny, whispering voice in the back of Damon's brain telling him not to do that, but his heart was too loud.

So he kissed her.

And screwed things up.

* * *

><p>It was already dark when Elena left the office. She was one of the last people to leave, as usual. Lately, it wasn't just because she wanted to finish her work on time. It was because other people's problems made her forget her own problems for a while.<p>

She missed Damon.

She missed him so much that she thought she might be going crazy. It's been just a little over a week since she last saw him, but it felt like years. She hated walking home alone, without his cocky (sometimes inappropriate) comments and jokes, without their late conversations and drinks.

It was obvious that he was pissed off. He hasn't responded to any of the texts Elena sent him this week, he hasn't called her or came to her office.

She felt incredibly empty without him.

Just when she was about to unlock the door, her phone vibrated in her pocket.

"Hey, Jenna," Elena smiled, using one hand to put the key in the lock and the other to hold the phone.

"Elena, hi! Are you free tomorrow night?" Jenna asked cheerfully on the other side of the line.

"Yeah, I think I am. Why? Are we having girls' night?" Elena entered her apartment and threw her purse on the kitchen counter, kicked her shoes and threw herself on the couch, sighing tiredly.

"No. Nope, no girls' night tomorrow. Um… I would actually like you to come to my place for dinner. I want you to meet Ric. Okay, you've met him already, but I want you two to get to know each other. You two are extremely important to me and it's important to me that you get along with him," Jenna said a little shyly.

"Finally," Elena laughed. "I thought you would never say that. Yes, of course I'll come."

"Great!" Jenna exclaimed. "I'll see you tomorrow at 8 pm then."

"I'm looking forward to it, Jenna."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Damon, I'm heading home," Jenna's head appeared behind the door of Damon's office.<p>

"Okay," Damon raised his look from the computer screen. "Thanks for staying and helping me," he smiled thankfully.

"No problem, boss," his secretary grinned. "You should go home too, you look wrecked."

"Why thank you," Damon rubbed his forehead. "I just want to get everything done before the weekend. I'm almost done, I'll head home soon. Don't worry about me."

"Okay then. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course," Damon grinned at Jenna.

A few minutes after Jenna left, Damon turned his computer off, took one of his crystal glasses and poured himself some bourbon. He was completely exhausted- this week was one of the hardest in his career. He and Alaric were busy all the time and barely had time to be anywhere else except the office. And bourbon… Bourbon was always the cure for everything.

Damon turned around in his chair. The view from the 20th floor through the glass wall was marvelous, just like everything else in this building. Damon's office was the biggest one in the whole building. Damon was surrounded by shiny floor and walls, expensive and enormous antique furniture, numerous awards that he earned- things that most people would be incredibly jealous of.

But in that moment, Damon Salvatore felt like the loneliest person on the world.

After staring at the city for God knows how long, he finally decided to go home. When he dragged himself in the hallway, Damon saw a figure moving in the dark.

"Who's there?" he asked, confused.

The figure stepped into the dim light in front of Damon. His jaw dropped.

"Katherine," he said through his teeth.

"Hello, Damon," the brunette smirked, one hand on her hip.

She looked stunning as always. She wore a tight black dress that hugged her body perfectly, emphasizing her curves. Her dark hair was curly as usual, falling down her chest. But there was one thing that wasn't the same. Instead of wanting to hug her or kiss her, Damon wanted to throw her ass out of the door this time.

"What do you want?"

"What makes you think that I want something?" When she stepped forward, Damon stepped back.

"You always want something from me."

"Oh, no," Katherine shook her head. "Damon, no, I don't want anything _from you_. I just want _you_," she made another step toward him.

"What the hell?" Damon stared at her angrily. "Katherine, are you drunk?"

"No, of course not," Katherine puckered her lips. "I just figured that maybe we could talk… And try to work things out between each other. I realized that we never really tried to fix our marriage. If we did…" she placed a hand on his chest, making Damon shiver a little bit. "Maybe we would be in a different situation now."

When Damon didn't pull away, Katherine leaned forward and came face to face to him. The scent of her perfume overwhelmed him. Her hot breath was on his face and their lips were almost touching.

"What do you say, huh?" Katherine whispered against his lips, running her fingers up and down Damon's chest.

Just when she was about to kiss him, Damon grabbed Katherine's wrists not so gently and looked straight into her eyes.

"You're only here because you're about to lose everything and, unless I settle, you'll be broke. Well, guess what- I don't care about your well-being anymore. You are nobody to me. And after this trial ends, I don't want to see your face or hear your voice ever again. Now get lost or I'll call the police," he said angrily into her face and pushed Katherine away from him. Without a word, she turned around and walked away.

* * *

><p>"Heey!" Jenna exclaimed when she opened the door and hugged her cousin tightly. "I'm so glad you're here!"<p>

"I'm happy to see you too, Jenna. But you should let go of me now or I'll choke," Elena said against Jenna's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Jenna laughed. "Come in!"

"I brought wine. I know you prefer vodka, but this is the grown up dinner so I figured that wine would be more sophisticated."

"Yeah, you're right," Jenna took the bottle from Elena. "I do prefer vodka, but I can work with this."

Someone cleared their throat behind them. "Hello, Elena."

"Alaric! Hi," Elena smiled. It looked like Jenna and Ric really took this whole dinner thing seriously. Jenna was wearing black formal dress that fit her perfectly while Alaric wore black pants, a matching jacket and a navy blue shirt under it.

"Ooh, something smells nice," Elena said when they placed themselves at the table. She saw Jenna and Ric exchange weird looks, but a doorbell rang before she had a chance to ask anything.

"Is someone else coming?" Elena asked her cousin when Alaric left to open the door. Jenna nodded awkwardly.

"Hello," Elena heard a well known voice behind her and turned around.

"Damon," she nodded, trying to maintain the sea of feelings inside her. It was both relieving and terrifying to see him the first time after their fight. He stared at her for one long moment before he sat down.

"Wow, Jenna, this was delicious. Did you really make all of this?" Elena asked after they were finished with the meal.

Jenna looked at Alaric before turning to Elena. "No," she said, a guilty expression on her face. "I tried, I really did, but it was disgusting and I ended up ordering food from the newly opened Italian restaurant down the street. I'm so sorry."

Elena laughed. "That's what I thought. It's fine, you tried."

"Well, I'm going to do the dishes, that's the least I can do since I didn't make a dinner I invited you to," Jenna stood up.

"I'll help you," Elena said and followed her cousin to the kitchen.

"So, do you like him?" Jenna asked Elena, handing her a plate to dry.

"Do I like who?" Elena asked, confused.

"Well, Ric, of course!"

"Of course I like him! He's great, Jenna. I'm so glad that you finally found a normal boyfriend who really deserves you."

"Oh my God, you have no idea how much that means to me," Jenna smiled, looking relieved. "If you didn't like him, I'd probably dump him."

Elena rolled her eyes. "You're not serious."

"No, I'm not," Jenna laughed. "You know, he said it yesterday."

"He said what?"

"That he loves me."

"Oh my God!" Elena almost dropped the plate she was drying. "Does that mean you two are in a serious relationship? Did you say it back?"

"Of course I said it back! And yes, I guess we are in a serious relationship…"

"Wow, Jenna, I am so happy for you!"

"I'm happy for me too! Okay, enough about me. Tell me, what's up with you and Damon? You've been acting weird for the whole night!"

Elena let out a breath. "I don't know… We had a fight and I haven't talked to him since… And I really wanted to because I really miss him and…"

Jenna's mouth flew open. "You have a crush on him!"

Elena started to protest, but realized that there's no point. "Yeah, it seems like I do."

"Oh, Elena, that's so wrong," the strawberry blonde shook her head. "But also so sexy! The forbidden relationship, what's more exciting than that?"

"Who said anything about a relationship? I know that it's wrong and that's why it's better for me to keep a safe distance. We're done here so I'm going to head home," Elena put down the last plate.

"No, you don't have to go," Jenna protested.

"I do… I'm afraid that if I drink a little more and stay a little longer I might say or do some things that I'll regret tomorrow and… Leaving is the best choice."

"Well, I'll hear from you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the dinner, Jenna. Bye," Elena hugged her cousin and said goodbye to Alaric.

When she was out in the hallway, Elena heard the apartment door opening behind her.

"Elena, wait!"

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><p><strong>Hmm, I wonder who that could be...<strong>

**I made this chapter a little longer to make it up to you for not posting it sooner... Did it work? **

**Well, I hope you liked this chapter!**

**Don't forget to review!**

**Love you all xo**


	13. Do the thing you're most afraid of

_Hey lovies!_

_So this chapter is pretty long, you all deserve it for waiting patiently for it :)_

_I hope you'll love it! And please review, let me know what you think. _

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><p>Elena turned around to see Damon standing at the doorway of Jenna's apartment. Her eyes flew open in surprise. She really didn't see this coming because he was practically ignoring her for the whole evening.<p>

"Umm…" he scratched the back of his head nervously, closing the door behind him, "I want to apologize. For being a dick the other day," he was speaking slowly, like he was carefully choosing his words.

"I couldn't get what I wanted so I got angry and snapped at you… It's a bad habit, I know, but I just couldn't help myself."

Elena's heart warmed when she saw him so shy and confused so she decided to put him out of his misery. "It's okay, Damon, really. You don't have to apologize. You just have to understand…"

"I understand. You're my lawyer, I'm your client and the two of us getting involved would cause problems. It could screw up your carrier. I was selfish and I'm sorry," Damon said sincerely.

"Thank you, Damon," a small smile appeared on Elena's lips. She reached out, wanting to squeeze his hand, but she stopped herself on time and dropped her arm. "If you think this is easy for me, it's not. It's incredibly hard. But that's the way it has to be," there was a lot of pain and sadness in her voice.

Damon nodded. "I know."

"Friends, then?" Elena asked quietly. Of course she didn't want him to be her friend. She wanted him to be so much more. But what she wanted was unfortunately not the same as what she had to do.

"Yeah," Damon faked a smile. "Friends."

Even though it was hard, Elena smiled back. Then she quickly turned around so that Damon couldn't see a few tears that escaped from her eyes.

"Katherine was at my office the other day," Damon said, making Elena turn back to him.

"Really?" her eyes flew open. "What was she doing at your office?"

"She wanted me to give her a second chance. She said that we should try to make our marriage work," Damon rolled his eyes.

"And? What did you do?"

"What do you think I did? I threw her lying ass out of the door."

"You did a right thing."

"Yeah, well, she means nothing to me anymore," Damon said flatly.

"I'm glad to hear that," Elena smiled. "Goodnight, Damon," she turned around to leave for the third time that evening.

"Night, Elena."

* * *

><p>Jenna Sommers sat on the toilet seat, staring at the stick. She'd been staring at it for quite some time now, hoping that the blue color would magically turn pink. But it didn't, even though she desperately wished it would. Jenna let out a sigh, burying her face in her hands.<p>

Why did this happen? Why now?

Her life was perfect for the past few months. She had a man in her life who loved her very much and she loved him back like she's never loved anyone before. She cherished every moment spent with him. Even though they haven't been together for a long time, Jenna knew that Ric was the one. He was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, marry him and have his babies.

But she really didn't need a baby right now. It was way too soon. What will happen when she tells him? Knowing her boyfriend, he will probably freak out. They were still in the honey moon faze of a relationship. Instead of bringing them closer together, this baby will most likely drive them apart.

Jenna was freaking out. She didn't know how to tell him. What if he leaves her? What if she'll have to raise this child alone?

After spending some more time sitting in the bathroom, thinking, Jenna decided that she won't tell her boyfriend the news just yet. Not until she figures out a way to tell him.

Just when she was about to get up and pull herself together, she heard a sound of the door opening.

"Jenna? Honey, where are you?"

It was Alaric. Oh God, he can't see her this way. He'll figure out something's wrong. But on the other hand, she can't hide in the bathroom forever. So she took a deep breath, put on a smile and opened the door.

"Hey," Ric grinned when he saw his girlfriend. He wrapped his arm around Jenna's waist and placed a small kiss on her cheek.

Jenna gulped and smiled back. "Hey. How was your day? I haven't seen you at work today," she said, gently rubbing Ric's back.

"Yeah, I had clients coming to my office all the time, I didn't even get a chance to take a break to see you," Alaric sighed. "But I'm here now," he leaned toward her and kissed her, this time on the lips. The kiss was soft and sweet and full of love. But Ric obviously noticed that Jenna didn't kiss him back with equal passion so he pulled away and looked at her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked softly.

"Nothing," Jenna faked a smile. "Nothing's wrong. What makes you think that?"

"Because you're acting weird. You seem distracted and distant and… Come on, Jenna, tell me," he wrapped a lock of her hair around his finger.

Jenna sighed, rubbing her forehead. So much for not telling him yet. She looked up to see concern in Ric's eyes. "I'm… I'm pregnant, Ric."

His eyes went wide and he stared at her for a long time, not saying anything.

"Say something, please," Jenna said quietly.

"You're pregnant," he repeated slowly, like he was trying to convince himself that what he was saying was true. "You're pregnant," he said again, but this time he was grinning widely.

Jenna stared at him like he'd gone crazy. "You're not going to freak out?" she asked, confused.

Alaric laughed, taking Jenna's hand in his. "No, I'm not going to freak out. Yeah, this is kind of sudden, but… We love each other, Jenna. That's what matters. And we're going to have a baby," he was still smiling like an idiot, obviously happy with the news.

Was this really happening? Jenna couldn't believe that he didn't freak out or left the apartment or yell at her. Because most of the guys would. But he wasn't like the most.

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. "We're going to have a baby," she grinned.

* * *

><p>Elena sat in the empty courtroom. She leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs and stared in front of her. There was a pile of documents she'd gone through about five thousand times, just in case something goes wrong and a half empty cup of coffee on the desk in front of her. The hearing was starting in one hour, but she came earlier to clear her mind and focus. For Elena, this was the most important case she's been working on. It was just a divorce- she had a lot of cases like that, but this was about a person she was working for.<p>

And loosing this trial would be unacceptable.

After sitting there alone for God knows how long, Elena heard the door opening behind her.

"Elena! I've been looking everywhere for you," Damon sat next to her. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came here to think," she said without looking at him.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes and Elena was the one who broke it.

"If we're lucky, this could be our last hearing," she said slowly.

"This _is_ our last hearing, Elena," Damon said, his voice full of confidence. "There is no way out for Katherine."

Elena let out a breath. "I hope so."

* * *

><p>"Mr. Salvatore… Would you like to open this hearing?" the judge turned to Stefan after everyone took their places.<p>

Stefan cleared his throat. "Yes, your honor, I would."

Elena looked at Damon whose eyes were fixated on the judge. She took his hand under the desk and squeezed it. He squeezed back.

This is it.

This is the moment they've both been waiting for since the first time Damon walked into Elena's office.

Elena held her breath as Stefan slowly got up and quickly glanced at Katherine before speaking. "My client would like to drop all the charges against Mr. Salvatore," he said flatly and clearly, keeping the serious expression on his face.

Elena's tight grip on Damon's hand loosened as she stared at the other attorney on the opposite side of the room. She dreamed of this, she wished nothing more than this and it really happened. If they hadn't been in the courtroom surrounded by bunch of people, she would probably jump in Damon's arms.

The judge stared at Stefan and Katherine in disbelief. "But you still want to get divorced, miss Pierce?" he asked slowly.

"Yes, we still want to proceed with the divorce. But without taking any property from Mr. Salvatore," Stefan answered instead of Katherine, who just sat there, looking very annoyed and angry.

"And what about you?" the judge's eyes went to Elena and Damon who sat there, slightly shocked.

When Elena realized that he was talking to her, she got up. "My client agrees," was all she managed to say.

"Alright then. I don't know what happened, but I'm glad that I'm done with all of you," the judge mutters to himself. "Mr. Salvatore, miss Pierce, you divorce is final."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe that this is really happening!" Elena turned to Damon, grinning. After the hearing ended, they went to Damon's house to celebrate their victory.<p>

"I know, right? Well, I believed in you since the day one. It's not like I doubted we would lose this," Damon said, smirking.

"I didn't do this all by myself. You're the one who found the video," Elena walked up and down his living room.

"Yeah, but you got us here. If you hadn't persuaded the judge to give us more time, I'd be doomed. And that blackmailing business… Ooh, that was feisty," Damon grinned at her, his eyes shining.

Elena's face suddenly got all serious. "This is it, Damon. We're done. We're done with the trial, with Stefan, with Katherine, you don't have to see them ever again."

"You can't imagine how glad I am about that," Damon let out a breath. He loosened his tie and walked to the bar to pour them drinks.

Elena was watching him from across the room, biting her lip. After a long time, she took the liberty to watch him again. He was too hot to handle. He ran his fingers through his black hair and made it messy again. The temperature in the room was pretty high so he took his jacket off and unbuttoned his shirt a little, disposing some skin and making Elena turn on immediately. She was pretty sure she licked her lips at the view.

When Damon turned to hand Elena a drink, her cheeks were bright red and she was checking him out from head to toe.

"What?" he stared at her.

Elena walked to him, took both drinks out of his hands and put them down on the table. Damon was still looking at her, completely confused.

She turned to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and, without thinking, brought her lips to his.

Before Damon even had a chance to react, she pulled away. Just when she was about to apologize for doing such a reckless thing, a thought hit her.

"You're not my client anymore," she said breathlessly.

Damon grinned, thinking exactly what she was thinking. "I'm not your client anymore."

Elena grabbed his neck again and kissed him one more time, this time with more passion and desire.

He kissed her back, his tongue exploring her mouth. He pulled away after a couple of minutes, drinking her in and enjoying the sight of her. She nodded, out of breath, like giving him approval to carry on, assuring him that she wants him just as much as he wants her.

Then he brought his lips to her neck, causing a moan escape from Elena's lips. One of her hands was in Damon's hair and the other one was running up and down his chest. Damon's arms traveled from her hair, down her back and finally stopped at her hips. He picked her up, his hands on her hips as she wrapped her legs around him impatiently.

They went to Damon's room like that, kissing and touching all the way up the stairs.

When he let her down in his room, Elena rapidly unbuttoned his white shirt, leaving his firm, beautiful chest exposed. She started kissing him from the neck down. Now it was Damon's turn to moan. Then he unbuttoned her shirt and threw it somewhere in the room. Her skirt followed the shirt very soon, leaving Elena in her underwear. Her bra went off the second later.

"God, you are perfect," he muttered as he kissed every inch of her body. Elena felt her blood boiling. She wanted for them to be completely naked. Fast.

The only thing that left standing on their way was the thin fabric of his pants. Elena looked down. She wanted him so much. She wanted him from the first time she saw him. And now she'll finally have him. Without thinking, she kneeled and pulled his pants down along with his underwear. Elena smiled at the sight- someone was very happy to see her.

When she got back up, Damon kissed her again and threw her on the bed. He took her panties off with his teeth, sending shivers from her head to toe as she felt his lips against her thighs.

"Damon…" she moaned. "Get back here."

He was soon on top of her, his perfect blue eyes piercing through hers.

"You ready?" he asked, hunger and desire written all over his flushed face.

Elena stared at him for a moment, savoring every inch of his beautiful face. Every wall that they've been building all this time between them was now down. There were no shields or guards up. There was just the two of them, lying on Damon's bed, completely exposed. Everything that they've been keeping from each other, every feeling, every emotion, every secret wish- everything was out on the surface.

Elena couldn't wait anymore. She pulled him to her, her hot skin against his hot skin, her lips against his, her heart beating against his.

"I was born ready," she whispered in his ear, letting him in.

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><p><strong>This is definetely my favorite chapter EVER.<strong>

**I absoulutely enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoyed reading it just as much. **

**Don't forget to review, I'm just a little away from 100 reviews soooo... **

**Love you all xo**


	14. Guilty pleasure

_Heeeyyy guys, I'm back! _

_This wasn't such a long wait, was it? *puppy eyes* _

_Soo with my last chapter I've hit 100 reviews! I can't believe it. To be honest, when I started writing this story, I had no idea that so many of you will like it. But here I am. _

_And I want to thank you all sooooo much for taking time to read my story. I appreciate every single one of your reviews, as well as favs and follows. _

_Okay, enough ranting. Here it is, chapter 14. _

_I hope you'll like it!_

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><p>Elena Gilbert woke up to the sound of raindrops hitting the window glass. The first thing she did before even opening her eyes was stretching, just like every morning. When she put her arms up, her hand hit something firm. Her eyes flew open and saw Damon Salvatore lying next to her. Elena's jaw dropped. That's when she realized that she wasn't even in her own bed.<p>

And that's when she started to remember every little detail of last night's events.

Damon's hands all over her body, his soft lips against hers, his hot breath against her skin, their bodies moving together in synchronized rhythm. It felt incredibly good. In fact, Elena never felt so good in her entire life.

Elena immediately shook that thought away from her head. What on Earth was she thinking? Was she drunk? Because that's the only circumstance in which she would do something like that. At least before she met this gorgeous man lying next to her. But she wasn't drunk. She was sober and completely aware of everything that happened. Damon didn't use her. Hell, you could even say that she used him.

She sat up in the bed and glanced at the other side of the bed on more time. Damon was so hot and adorable in the same time, with his messy her, eyes closed and lips slightly opened. He was lying on his stomach and Elena suddenly felt the urge to touch his bare and muscular back. She even extended her hand , but pulled away on time before she woke him up.

She decided to leave before he woke up, there was no other choice for her. But how was she supposed to pull that off? Elena checked her phone- she had 3 missed calls and 4 texts, from Caroline, of course. No one else is _that_ persistent. When she saw what time it was, her mouth flew open.

"Shit!" she said to herself, probably a little too loud because she felt Damon wiggling next to her. She quickly got up and started searching for her underwear and clothes, which were scattered all over the room. She found her panties under the bed and her bra on the armchair next to it.

"Good morning," Damon mumbled groggily from the bed, making Elena raise her look from the floor. He was looking at her, still obviously sleepy, but definitely not as confused and out of place as she was.

"Morning," Elena forced a smile. When she finally found her skirt, she quickly put it on.

Damon sat up and leaned back, his elbows supporting his weight. "What's the rush?" Elena was refusing to make an eye contact with him, but she could swear that he wore a smirk on his face.

"It's 9 am, Damon. I need to get to work, I'm late," she said flatly, straightening her skirt. The only thing that was missing was her blouse.

"You looking for this?" Damon was holding her white blouse in his hand. She quickly took it from him.

"Thanks," Elena said and put the blouse on without buttoning it. She made her way toward the door, wanting to get out as soon as possible.

"Elena," Damon called gently. She turned around and looked at him, guilt written all over her face. It was the first time she really looked at him since yesterday.

His facial expression was unreadable. It was obvious that he was looking for answers, but Elena couldn't give him one.

She let out a sigh. "We'll talk later, okay? I'll call you," she said reassuringly.

Damon nodded. "Okay. Bye," a small smile played on his lips.

Elena smiled back at him before turning around and walking out of the door.

She was completely confused. She had sex with Damon Salvatore. The biggest question was- Did it mean anything to him? It sure as hell meant something to her. She promised to call him. What is she going to tell him? What are they going to talk about?

Yeah, Elena was definitely freaking out.

* * *

><p>"Elena!" As soon she got out of the elevator, Caroline saw her and came running to her. "Where the hell have you been? I was sooo worried, oh my God!" the blonde wrapped her arms around her brunette friend.<p>

"I'm fine, I just fell asleep, Care, that's all," Elena said, trying to free herself from the bear hug Caroline was giving her.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Caroline pulled away and checked her friend from head to toe. When the judgy look appeared on her pretty face, Elena rolled her eyes. She didn't even bother to drive home and change her clothes. And Caroline noticed, of course.

"Elena Gilbert, are you wearing the same clothes as yesterday?" she put her hands on her hips. "And look at your hair! It's a complete mess! Elena, tell me what's going on," when Elena started walking, Caroline just followed her like a puppy.

"I need coffee, that's what's going on. Megan, could you please go to that coffee shop across the street and get me a latte? I know I'm usually not asking this kind of stuff from you, but this is an emergency," Elena stopped by her secretary's desk.

"Of course, miss Gilbert, no problem," Megan said, fixing her glasses.

"Elena! Stop avoiding me!" Caroline raised her voice at her friend when they entered Elena's office.

Elena took a seat by her desk and turned on her laptop. "I'm not avoiding you. I fell asleep and didn't have time to look for a fresh outfit so I just put on the clothes I wore yesterday, that's all. It's not a big deal," she shrugged.

"It is a big deal. You're never late for work," when Elena gave no respond, Caroline came closer to her. "You've been with someone last night, haven't you?"

Elena froze in her chair. She looked up, trying to keep the poker face. "No. What makes you think that?"

"You've got the glow," Caroline made some weird gesture with her hands.

Elena laughed. "_The glow_?"

"Yes, the glow. The sex glow," the blonde grinned and sat on the chair next to her best friend.

"I do not have the glow!" Elena clasped Caroline's hand.

The blonde laughed, waving her hair back. "Oh, sweetie, you do. Trust me, I know how to recognize it. Now tell me, who caused it?" she moved her chair closer to Elena.

Elena let out a sigh. No matter how hard she tried, she could never hide something from her best friend. It was like Caroline could read her mind. She was staring at her curiously, impatiently waiting for an answer.

"Fine," Elena breathed out. "I'll tell you, but I swear, if you tell anyone, I'll never talk to you again."

"Oh, wow, a secret! I love secrets!" Caroline clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh my God, it's like I'm in high school again!" when she saw Elena's angry glare, she wiped the grin off of her face. "Okay, I won't tell anyone, don't worry. I'm listening."

"It was Damon," Elena said quickly, like ripping off a bandage.

Caroline's mouth went wide. "Damon Salvatore?"

"How many Damons do you think I know? Yes, Damon Salvatore."

"Oh-my-God. Your client Damon Salvatore?"

Elena rolled her eyes. She was really getting annoyed by this conversation. "Trust me, I'm as shocked about it as you are. And he's not my client anymore," when she saw Caroline opening her mouth, she pointed a finger at her. "Shut up. The last thing I need right now is for you to give me one of your stupid lectures."

"B… But… What are you going to do now?" Caroline asked, completely confused.

"I don't know."

* * *

><p>"So, what's new?" Elena asked Jenna when the waiter took their orders. Usually, she would pick Jenna up at work and they would go to lunch. Today, there was a risk of seeing Damon at the office so she just met up with her cousin in the restaurant.<p>

Jenna gulped awkwardly. She took a sip of water and cleared her throat before speaking. "Umm… I'm sure that what I'm about to say will surprise you," Jenna let out a nervous laugh. "That's an understatement, actually…"

"Jenna! Just talk!"

"Okay, here we go. I'm pregnant," she blurted out.

Elena's eyes went wide. "You're _what_?" she leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table.

"Pregnant. You know, there's a baby growing inside of me and all…" Jenna said with sarcasm in her voice.

"What? How did that happen?" Elena was still staring at her in complete shock.

Jenna rolled her eyes. "You're a big girl, Lena. You know how that happened."

"Is it Alaric's?" the brunette whispered.

"Of course it's Alaric's! Do you really think that low of me? I would never cheat on him," Jenna took one of the breadsticks from the little basket and took a bite of it.

"So did you tell him?"

"Yes, I did."

"And how did he react?"

"That's a lot of questions," Jenna glared at her cousin. "At first he was just as surprised as I was. But we talked and we're really happy about it," a smile appeared on her face. "I mean, we love each other, that's what matters the most. And, even though it's hard to admit it, we're not so young anymore."

"So you're ready to have kids?"

"I am. We are. I meant it when I said that I want to settle down."

"Wow, Jenna, that's great! If you're happy, I'm happy too!" Elena reached out and took Jenna's hand. "I can't believe I'm going to be an aunt!" she grinned.

Jenna laughed, squeezing her cousin's hand. "I can't believe I'm going to be a mom."

* * *

><p>"You didn't call." That was the first thing Damon said when Elena opened the door of her apartment.<p>

Elena moved from the doorway, giving him a sign to come in. When he did, she closed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry?" he turned around to face her. "That's all you have to say?" he looked both annoyed and pissed off.

"What am I supposed to say? I didn't call you because I didn't know what to tell you. Happy now?"

"We had sex, Elena. We had sex and you didn't know what to tell me?" he pointed a finger at her, his eyes burning with anger.

"What do you want me to tell you, huh? I was scared, okay?" she raised her voice and threw her arms up in the air.

"Scared of what?" Damon stared at her like she'd gone nuts.

"Scared that it didn't mean to you as much as it meant to me," Elena said shyly, looking at the floor.

When she heard Damon laughing, she raised her look. Did he really just laugh? Did he find her funny? Of course he did. He probably thought that she was completely pathetic.

"Oh, you're so silly," Damon shook his head, still smiling. He started moving closer to her. By the time he got to her, Elena's heart was pounding like crazy.

His eyes were warm and gentle as he watched her. He raised his hand and put it on her cheek. She shivered under his slightest touch.

"It meant something to me," Damon's face was now serious. "And by not calling me you actually made me thinking that you don't give a shit about me," he was still caressing her cheek.

Elena couldn't help but laugh. "I do," she said and took his other hand. "I didn't call you because I wasn't sure if you wanted me to."

"Oh, Elena," he smiled. "Of course I wanted to. _I want you_. I think I've made that pretty clear to you already," he said quietly and gently, almost whispering, like he was afraid that she might disappear.

Elena played with his fingers. "You did. I was just too stupid and insecure to realize that, I guess," she was staring at his beautiful eyes.

Instead of responding, Damon just pressed his lips to hers. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, he tangled his fingers in her hair.

This kiss was different than the one last night. There wasn't just passion and desire between the two of them. This kiss was long and gentle and sweet and soft and filled with love.

When they finally broke apart, Elena pressed her forehead against Damon's.

"I'm glad you came here," she said.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled away to look into her eyes. "You are?"

"Yeah, look at what I'd be missing if you hadn't been the one to make the first move," she smiled, putting her arms around his shoulders.

"Well, next time you have doubts like these, call me, okay?"

Elena nodded, tightening her grip. "Okay," she leaned and kissed him one more time.

* * *

><p><strong>Aww, fluffy Delena! I LOVE writing these kind of stuff. <strong>

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please, review, it means a lot to me! **

**Also, if you want for some characters to appear more or less in the story, let me know, I always like to read your opinions. **

**Don't forget to review :) **

**Love you all xo**


	15. Second chances

_Hellooooo! It's me, yay!_

_I know it's been a while since I updated, but I honestly had zero inspiration and very little free time to write. _

_This chapter is pretty fluffy, I know you guys love reading fluf so here you go! _

_Here it is, chapter 15. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>When Elena woke up, she was genuinely happy. She couldn't remember the last morning she felt this way. The sun was shining, the birds were singing… Okay, the birds weren't really singing and the rain was still falling, just like yesterday, but she was still happy.<p>

There was a naked man in her bed. Elena couldn't remember the last time she had a naked man in her bed either.

And it gets even better- the man was Damon Salvatore.

She was lying completely naked on her hip, watching Damon sleeping. She'll never get tired of watching him sleeping.

"You're staring at me," he said without opening his eyes. "It's kind of creepy."

Elena smiled and moved a little closer to him. "I don't care."

"You didn't leave this time," he opened his eyes, smirking.

"This is my apartment, I can't leave you here alone. What if you steal something?" she said, moving a few more inches toward him so their bodies were almost touching.

"You're smart not to trust me. You've seen my house. All those things I have… I stole them from all the women I've slept with," he said mockingly.

"Then you must've slept with a lot of women."

He leaned so close that their lips were almost touching. "Do you really want to talk about it right now?" he whispered, his hand on her waist.

Elena shook her head, grinning. She was about to say something witty, but Damon cut her off with one of his head-turning kisses. As he leaned over her, she put her hands on his muscular arms and started kissing him back.

Very soon he was on top of her, his kisses becoming deeper and more passionate. After a few blissful moments, Elena pulled away, groaning. "Damon, I need to get to work," she said, very unhappy about that fact.

"Ugh, again?" he groaned and buried his face in her neck.

"Yes, again. Unlike you, I'm not my own boss and if I'm late for work, there're actual consequences," she said, running her hands up and down his bare back.

"Quit your job," Damon placed a quick kiss on her lips. "That way we can stay in bed all day," he started kissing her neck.

Elena groaned one more time, knowing that won't be able to move from the bed if she doesn't stop him now. "Oh, sweetie, you know that's not how the real world works," she cupped his face with her hands.

Damon looked at the alarm clock on Elena's nightstand. "You still have some time left."

"Yeah, I do," she smiled.

"Then let's make the most of it," he grinned.

* * *

><p>Damon Salvatore couldn't wipe the smile from his face the entire car ride when he was coming back home from Elena's apartment. He had many reasons to be happy. Things in his life were finally coming back to normal. And most of it was Elena's credit. Since he met her, everything was better. He got rid of Katherine, who brought him nothing but constant pain and bitterness. He was terribly sorry for wasting years of his life on her. But their marriage was finally over and Damon finally had someone in his life. She was worth every second of his time. Hell, she was worth much more.<p>

Yeah, Damon was smiling all the way to his house. But the smile suddenly faded away when he pulled over at his driveway because he saw a car that wasn't his. And he knew very well to whom the car belonged.

He didn't get out of the car immediately. He sat inside for a few moments, gripping the steering wheel tightly and trying to decide if he's going to come out at all and face the person who was waiting for him.

But he had to do it. He had to man up and get this thing off of his back.

Finally, he took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hello, brother," Damon approached a man standing on his deck.

Stefan turned around, his eyes widening. "Damon. Hi," he said awkwardly.

"How long have you been standing here?" Damon asked flatly.

"I just got here. I thought I'd catch you before work, but you weren't home. So I assumed you already left. I was about to leave before you showed up."

Damon moved towards the door, brushing Stefan's shoulder roughly. He unlocked the door and entered the house, followed by his brother. "And what do you want?" he made his way to the kitchen and started making coffee.

"I want to talk," the younger brother said. He felt uncomfortable because he hasn't been in Damon's house for years.

"Well, then you've came all this way for nothing. We have nothing to talk about," Damon frowned. It was funny how his day went from incredibly good to incredibly bad in just a few minutes.

Stefan leaned against the counter and looked at his brother, who wasn't paying any attention to him. "Damon, look at me," he said with determination in his voice.

Damon finally listened and turned around from the coffee machine. "God, this is hard," he rubbed his forehead, groaning. "You see what you did? It's hard for me to even look at you! I can't look at my own brother!" his face was flushed with anger.

"Damon," Stefan made a step toward his brother. "I can't describe how sorry I am," his look was soft and there was guilt all over his face.

He actually sounded sincere. Damon actually thought, but just for a moment, that Stefan meant what he said. But he shook that thought away from his head immediately.

"Well, it's a little late for that, don't you think? Katherine dumped you after loosing the trial, she probably didn't even pay you… And now you're coming to me? " Damon let out a laugh.

"I don't want your money!" Stefan raised his voice. "I just want my brother back! Don't you see that?"

"And what makes you think that you can have me back?" Damon crossed his arms on his chest. "We haven't been brothers for years, Stefan."

"But we can be brothers again," Stefan said quietly, looking at the floor.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying? That after you've stabbed me in the back… Repeatedly… You actually think that I'll forgive you? Just like that?"

Stefan stared at his brother blankly, not saying a word.

"Wow, you're unbelievable," Damon snorted, shaking his head.

"I don't think you can forgive me just like that. But I am sorry for what I've done. You're a good person, Damon. You're a better person than me. And I truly believe that maybe, you can find a way to forgive me. Take all the time you need. And if you want for us to be brothers again… You know where to find me," Stefan said with a flicker of pain in his voice. He turned around and walked out of the door, leaving surprised Damon behind.

* * *

><p>"Hey!" Damon grinned at Elena, who was sitting in one of the boots in The Pub. "Sorry I'm late, I got caught up at work," he placed a kiss at her cheek and sat next to her.<p>

"It's ok, I got here a few minutes ago," she smiled at him. He looked amazing, his face flushed because of the wind and his hair damp from the rain. "Umm, I ordered you bourbon, I hope that's okay."

"It's great. Thanks," Damon said cheerfully. "So, how was your day?"

Elena groaned and leaned back in her chair. "Boring. I had no clients today, only paperwork. So annoying. Honestly, I was just waiting for the day to finish so I could see you," Elena blushed a little. Even though she knew it was okay to say things like that now, this whole thing was still new to her.

Damon sat up, a proud look on his face. "I couldn't wait to see you, too," he leaned closer to her and kissed her softly. When he pulled away, he started playing with her hair. "I'm so glad that I can finally do this without worrying about anyone seeing us," he said quietly.

"Me too," Elena grinned. She was just about to kiss him again when the waiter came with their drinks.  
>"One coffee and one bourbon. Here you go," he said with a friendly smile on his face.<p>

"Thanks, Luke," Elena grinned at him.

"You're welcome. Oh, Elena, by the way, ILOVE your hair!"

"Thanks, I got a new do two days ago. I'm so glad you like it!"

"I do, it fits you perfectly. You look beautiful today!" he said cheerfully.

"Ugh, that guy was totally hitting on you," Damon rolled his eyes when the waiter was out of the way.

Elena laughed. "Who, Luke? No, he's my friend. Trust me, he wasn't hitting on me."

"Oh, yes, he was. Look, he's still checking you out," he shook his head in Luke's direction.

Elena turned around to see Luke still looking at their table. "No, he's checking _you _out. Damon, he's gay," Elena laughed at Damon's pouty face.

"Oh. Well, he should stop because I'm starting to feel embarrassed," he shifted in his seat and took a sip of his bourbon.

"You should feel flattered," Elena lightly nudged his arm. "He thinks you're hot."

Damon smirked and leaned so close that their noses were almost touching. "Do _you_ think I'm hot?" he asked seductively.

"Mayyyybe…" she grinned and kissed him passionately, wrapping her hands around his neck. She felt the rush of warmth spreading through her body. It's been a while since she felt such affection toward someone. It's been a while since she felt alive.

"So, how was your day?" Elena asked Damon after they finally pulled away from each other.

"It was… Weird. I received an unexpected visit this morning when I went home to change," Damon puckered his lips.

Elena's eyes went wide. "Who? Was it Katherine again?"

Damon shook his head. "No. I don't think I'll be seeing her some time soon, she's too humiliated. It was my dear brother," he said bitterly.

Elena almost choked on her coffee. "What?! Stefan came to see you? What did he want?"

"I'm not sure what he wanted. I mean, he said he wanted to make piece with me… He wants me to give him a second chance," there was a mix of confusion and concern on his face.

"Will you? Give him a second chance?"

Damon exhaled and finished his bourbon. "I don't know, Elena. I really don't know if I can trust him again," he rubbed his forehead.

"I get that. I mean, after everything he's done to you, he's going to make an effort if he wants to earn your trust again."

"Yeah, you're right. I just need some time to think about all that…" he shifted in his seat. "But I don't want to talk about it right now. I have an offer to make."

Elena looked at him in surprise. "What offer?"

"Well, next week is my mom's birthday and I'm supposed to go to MysticFalls… So I was wondering if maybe, you'd want to come with me?"

"Damon Salvatore, are you asking me to meet your parents?" Elena smirked.

"I guess it does?" he looked at her shyly.

"I'd love to! I haven't been home for a while, to be honest, and I really miss my parents so I'd get to see them too!"

Damon's face lit up. "Then we're going to Mystic Falls."

"We're going to Mystic Falls," Elena repeated, grinning excitedly.

* * *

><p><strong>Aaand that's it for chapter 15! <strong>

**I hope you liked it and don't forget to review! **

**SPOILER ALERT: There's a few more chapters of fluff to come and then some serious drama(sorry)! **

**I'll see you soon, hopefully. **

**Love you all xo**


	16. Family dinner

_Hellooo lovies! _

_Oh, I'm so glad I finally managed to finish this chapter. I'm sorry for not updating more often, but the school started and I have so little time to write. :( _

_But of course, I found some time for you sweeties, like I always do. I want to thank you all for all your support, I love you so much for it!_

_Like always, please review, let me know what you think! _

_Chapter 16. Hope you'll like it!_

* * *

><p>"You want another one?" Elena took the blueberry muffin out from the paper bag and handed it out to Damon, who's look was fixated on the road in front of him.<p>

"You're trying to get me fat, aren't you?" he smirked, taking the muffin from Elena's hand. "Of course I want another one, they're so good," he said and took a large bite.

Elena laughed and licked the muffin crumbs from her lips. "So you admit that I can bake? Even though you said before that I'd burn the kitchen if I try to make something?" she teased because she knew how much he hated being wrong.

Damon glared at her and sighed. "Fine, I'll give you this one. But I'm still a better cook than you," he pointed a finger at her.

She rolled her eyes. "It always has to be your way, doesn't it? Yeah, you're a better cook than me. But I'm only saying that because of that magnificent pasta you made yesterday. Who taught you to cook like that?" she took a sip of her coffee and handed the other cup to Damon, who already finished his muffin.

"My mom," his eyes remained on the road, but his mouth shaped a small smile, like just the mention of his mother brought him happiness. "I was helping her in the kitchen since I was like, six. She taught me a bunch of delicious recipes, mostly Italian, and by the time I was in middle school, I knew how to cook even the most complicated dishes. But if you think my pasta's magnificent, just wait to try my mom's. It'll blow your mind," he smirked and winked at her.

"Wow, then I really can't wait to try it," Elena smiled, but the smile faded away quickly as a thought crossed her mind.

"Damon," her look dropped to her lap, "It's your mother's birthday… Do you think Stefan will be there too?" she asked quietly, breaking the cheerful and comfortable atmosphere.

Damon let out a breath, his grip tightening on the wheel. "Yeah, he probably will," he said after a couple of moments of silence.

Elena looked at his unreadable face. "What are you going to say to him?"

"I'm not sure," Damon frowned. "He's probably expecting forgiveness or at least some kind of an answer and I don't know if I can give him that. Not just yet. It's going to take him a bit more than a lousy apology to earn my trust back."

"Yeah… Everything will fall back to its place, just don't worry," she said reassuringly and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

* * *

><p>"Aand, we're here," Damon pulled over in front of the large house surrounded by nothing but woods. Elena remembered this house from her childhood. When she used to walk through the woods, she was always curios about it because it was so big and beautiful and mysterious.<p>

"Stop being so nervous," he said without even looking at her.

She shot him a glare. "I'm not nervous."

"Yes, you are. I can feel it. So stop," Damon turned to her, a bit annoyed. "You're going to do fine, don't worry."

Elena was staring at the front, playing with her fingers.

"Elena. Look at me," Damon said firmly.

When she did as he said, he leaned forward, and kissed her. The kiss was quick, but so powerful. When he pulled away, he gently stroked her hair, his blue eyes melting away all the anxiety and her whole body relaxing under the softness of his touch.

She pressed her forehead to his, running her fingers up and down his chest.

"Don't worry, okay?" he said again, wrapping his arms gently around her.

Elena nodded, still not pulling away from him. She kissed him one more time, drinking him in and reassuring herself one more time that she has nothing to worry about.

"You ready to go?" he asked softly after a couple of blissful minutes.

"Yeah. I am," Elena smiled and opened the door of Damon's Camaro.

* * *

><p>"My parents are not that scary, trust me," Damon said, slamming his door shut. "Mom's going to like you for sure, she's going to be all over you and dad… Well, just talk about the lawyer stuff and you'll have him too."<p>

"Thanks for the advice," Elena let out a laugh. "Wait, did you tell them I'm coming with you?" her face turned white.

Damon knocked on the front door. "Nope," he grinned and just when Elena was about to protest, the door opened, reveling the woman in her early fifties. Her hair was just a shade lighter than Damon's and her eyes the same piercing blue color. She was truly beautiful. Only the wrinkles that appeared around her eyes when she smiled gave away that she's not so young anymore.

Elena gulped and stepped back when the woman threw her arms around Damon.  
>"Damon! You've made it!" she hugged him tightly, a huge grin on her face. When she backed away, she cupped Damon's face in her hands and looked at him with so much motherly love, making Elena instantly miss her mom.<p>

"Oh honey, you've shaved, I'm so glad you did! You looked like a hobo the last time I saw you."

Elena laughed when she saw how embarrassed Damon looked. He rolled his eyes and placed a kiss on his mother's cheek. "Happy birthday, mom," he smiled and handed her the nicely wrapped gift.

"Thank you, sweetie," she kissed his cheek, leaving a trace of lipstick on it. "Ohh, and who is this lovely lady?" her look dropped on Elena who was hiding behind Damon.

"This is Elena," Damon stepped back and put his arm around her shoulder.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ms. Salvatore," Elena said in a nicest way possible, trying to cover her fear. She handed her hand to Damon's mom, who took it kindly.

"Oh, please, call me Claire," she grinned. "Damon, I can't believe you brought a girl home!" she beamed at her son, obviously thrilled. "This is the first time he's done something like that," she turned back to Elena. "When he was with Katherine, he never actually brought her here. I didn't like that girl."

"Mom," Damon sounded annoyed.

"Oh, right, I'm sorry," Claire put a hand on her mouth. "Come in, you two, dinner's almost ready," she led them into the house. "Damon, I'm so happy, this is the best birthday ever!" she kept talking all the way to the dining room.

"I'm sorry, she tends to talk too much when she's excited," Damon whispered to Elena.

"It's okay, I like her," Elena smiled as they placed themselves at the table, which was already set. Damon poured them both wine when his mother left to finish the food in the kitchen.

The inside of the house was very similar to Damon's house in New York. Everything was old and beautiful, from the Persian rugs to the large wooden windows and big, heavy curtains that covered them, letting just a little bit of light inside. The other sources of light were little antique lamps hanging from the walls, making a really nice atmosphere.

"Giusseppe! Come here, Damon's here! And he brought a girl!" Claire called for her husband excitedly from the kitchen, making Elena blush a little more.

When Giuseppe Salvatore walked into the room, Elena shivered a little. She remembered him a little from her childhood, since he was her dad's friend. Giuseppe always woke this sort of fear and respect in her.

As he came closer, Elena could clearly see the resemblance between him and Stefan. Even though his hair was grey now, Elena assumed it was the same color as Stefan's. He had the same green eyes and the same posture as his younger son.

"Father," Damon stood up, his expression unreadable. "This is Elena. Elena Gilbert."

Elena stood up as well and shook hands with Damon's father.

"Ah, yes, Grayson's daughter, am I right? The lawyer." he said with the same serious expression he always wore on his face.

"Yes, Mr. Salvatore," Elena said, her voice shaking a little bit.

Giuseppe frowned like he was thinking deeply about something. He turned to his son. "Isn't this young lady _your_ lawyer, Damon?"

Damon's lips tightened. "Yes, she was," he said flatly, emphasizing the last word.

"Alright then," he sat at the table, gesturing them to sit down as well. "Son, I am glad that you found a decent girl who is not a narcissistic gold digger like the previous ones," he said flatly, pouring himself some wine.

Damon almost choked on his drink. Elena realized he'd turned red with anger. Just when he started looking like he'll explode, Claire came in carrying the food.

"Dinner's ready!" she said cheerfully, putting the pasta and the sauce on the table. She fled back to the kitchen and soon returned with the garlic bread and all sorts of other food that Elena didn't recognize so she assumed it was Italian. It smelled magnificent and she felt her mouth watering at the sight of all the food.

"We're just waiting for Stefan," Claire said. "He called half an hour ago that he'd been stuck in traffic and he should be here very soon," she smiled.

Damon shifted uncomfortably in his seat and Elena saw his jaw tighten.

"Damon, you probably haven't seen him for a long time since both of you are so busy. I'm sure you can't wait to see your brother," his mother grinned, completely oblivious of what was going on between the brothers.

Damon faked a smile and nodded.

"Giuseppe, honey, could you come to the kitchen to open another bottle of wine? I still can't get used to that new bottle opener you bought," Claire said to her husband and they went back to the kitchen.

When they were out of the sight, Elena turned to Damon and shot him a confused glare. "Didn't you tell your mother about...?"

"Nope," he cut her off. "I didn't want to upset her."

"So you rather let her think that everything's perfect between you and Stefan, while it's actually the exact opposite?"

"Yup," Damon refused to look at her.

"Wow, you're unbelievable," Elena shook her head and emptied her glass. "This is going to be an awkward dinner."

When the doorbell rang, Elena turned to Damon who was white as a stone. Claire hurried to open the door and Giuseppe followed her, leaving Damon and Elena alone again.

"Just don't be too harsh on him, okay?" Elena said to him when she saw how tense he was.

"Why not?" Damon glared at her, his look unreadable.

"Because he's your brother," she whispered just as Damon's parents returned with their younger son.

"Hello Damon," Stefan said, his look staying on his brother for a while. "Elena," he nodded, not looking too surprised to see her there.

"Hi," they both said in the same time, trying to cover the awkwardness. Elena even managed to put on a smile.

"Well, now that we're all here, we can start with the dinner. Bon apetit!" Claire beamed.

* * *

><p>Halfway through the delicious, but incredibly awkward dinner full of uncomfortable glances between Damon, Stefan and her, Elena felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. She took it out and saw that she received a text from Bonnie.<p>

Now what the hell could her brother's girlfriend possibly want from her?

She curiously opened the text and her eyes went wide when she saw what it said.

**I need your help.**

* * *

><p><strong>That's it for this chapter! <strong>

**I really hope you guys liked it. **

**So in the next chapter we find out what does Bonnie want with Elena and how will things resolve or not resolve between our two favorite brothers :) **

**Don't forget to review! **

**Love you all xo**


	17. Endless road

_Hey guys!_

_Long time no see, huh? But you've probably already got used to my stupid updating schedule. _

_This chapter is a little different from others, you'll see why. I hope you'll like it! Oh, and it's also a little longer, I'm sure you'll like that! :)_

_Chapter 17. Enjoy and please review!_

* * *

><p>When Elena saw Bonnie's text, she was surprised. The two of them stayed in touch since Jeremy started dating Bonnie, but they haven't been that close. And that's why Elena got really worried when she received the text. It must've been something pretty serious since she was asking for her help. Elena excused herself from the table and quickly made her way outside to call Bonnie.<p>

"Elena, hi," she picked up the phone after the first ring. Her voice sounded serious, which made Elena panic even more.

"Bonnie, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Bonnie said. "It's your brother."

Elena's heart started pounding like crazy. "Oh my God, is he hurt?"

"No, it's nothing like that," the other girl said reassuringly. "I think he's got himself into some trouble… And I think that you might be the only one who could help him."

Elena groaned. What the hell did Jeremy do now? "Bonnie. Tell me," her voice was angry when she started to play all kinds of scenarios in her head.

"I… I can't over the phone. We're in Mystic Falls, we're staying at your parents' house until our semester begins. Do you think you could come here, I don't know, like, tomorrow? I know that you're busy and that it's a lot to ask but this is an emergency."

"Umm, I already am in Mystic Falls, actually, so I can come over right now. I'll see you in about half an hour, okay?" Elena already opened the door to get her coat.

"Okay, great, see ya."

When Elena came back to the dining room, the whole Salvatore family was staring at her. She felt the rush of embarrassment. "Damon, could I talk to you for a moment?"

"Yeah, sure," he stood up and led her to the living room where no one could hear them. "What's wrong? Who did you talk to?" he asked gently, putting his hand on her shoulder. He obviously saw how nervous she was.

"It was my brother's girlfriend. Long story short, Jeremy's in some sort of a trouble and he needs my help. I need to go to my parents' house and see what's going on," she explained.

Damon's forehead wrinkled and Elena could see the concern in his eyes. "Do you want me to come with you? Or at least drive you there?"

"No, it's okay, I have to do this alone. And I could use a walk to clear my mind and prepare myself for what's about to come. Because, when it comes to my brother, trouble really means _trouble_. Besides, you have something to take care of here so you can't come with me."

Damon groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Do I have to? I'd rather come with you and deal with _your_ family's problems."

Elena shot him a glare. "Damon, you know you have to. You've been delaying this for way too long. So, you go handle your brother and I'll go handle mine, okay?"

After a couple of moments, he nodded. "Yeah, yeah, okay. But you'll be back soon, right?"

"Of course," she smiled and put a peck on his lips.

* * *

><p>Elena walked out on the street, clenching her coat tighter to her body. It was dark already and chilly outside. The wind was blowing, not very hard, but enough to make the air colder. The fall was definitely there and Elena loved it. October was her favorite month. Even though she couldn't see it through the dark, she knew that the leaves on the trees turned red, orange, yellow and brown. And the ones that have already fallen off were rustling under her feet. It felt great to take a nice, peaceful walk and breathe in fresh autumn air. She couldn't do that in New York.<p>

It took her about 20 minutes to get to her house. She walked quietly into the house, hoping that her parents won't see her, but her hopes were crushed when she heard her mom's surprised voice.

"Elena? Honey, what are you doing here? I had no idea you were coming! How did you get here?" she beamed and threw her arms around her daughter.

"Mom, I'll explain everything later, but first I need to see Bonnie. Where is she?"

Miranda gave her a suspicious look. "She's upstairs with Jeremy."

"Okay, thanks," Elena gave her mom a quick kiss on the cheek and quickly made her way up the stairs. When she was in front of Jeremy's room, she felt anxiety rising from the bottom of her stomach. It took her a couple of moments to gain the courage to open the door. When she did, she saw Bonnie sitting on the bed, playing nervously with her fingers.

"Hey," the girl smiled when she saw Elena. "That was fast," she whispered and got up. "Can we go talk somewhere else? Jeremy's in the shower and I'm afraid he might hear us."

"Yeah, sure, let's go to my room," Elena led the way. Every time she entered her own bedroom, nostalgia would overwhelm her when she remembered all the memories that she created here.

She sat on the bed, tapping the empty space next to her, inviting Bonnie to join her. "Okay, hit me. What's going on?"

Bonnie inhaled deeply and looked Elena in the eyes. "I think Jeremy's doing drugs," she said quickly, like ripping off a bandage.

Elena's eyes went wide. She felt sudden rush of anger. "What? Again?!"

"What do you mean, again?" Bonnie was confused.

"He'd been doing it in high school. He's had this girlfriend, Vicky. She was older than him and she got Jeremy totally whipped. Jeremy started hanging out with all these junkies and…" Elena shut her eyes, shaking her head. "We barely managed to get him out of all that. It was awful. I didn't think he'd ever return to his old ways. Are you completely sure he's doing drugs? You have to be sure, that's some serious stuff."

"I… I don't know, I don't want to false accuse him, but he's been all weird lately. His eyes are red, he's tired all the time, he's hanging out with some weird guys…"

"Have you tried talking to him?" Elena cut her off.

"I've tried… I've asked him what's wrong multiple times, but he just won't talk to me. That's why I called you, Elena. I wouldn't call you if it weren't serious, trust me," Bonnie looked like she was about to cry so Elena took her hand and squeezed it.

"You made a good decision. I know my brother and I know how stubborn he is. And thank you so much for calling me and asking for help instead of giving up on him. You made the right choice," she said gently.

"Do you think you can help him?"

"I think I probably can. He'll listen to me. He has to. I'll go talk to him right now, okay?"

Bonnie nodded, tightly gripping Elena's hand. "Okay. But please, don't tell him I told you. I don't want him to…"

"You don't want him to think that he can't trust you. I get it. Don't worry, I'll help him. You stay here and I'll go talk to him," Elena got up and made her way to Jeremy's room.

She sat on the bed, waiting for him to get out of the bathroom. She didn't have to wait for a long time-he showed up after a couple of minutes, his hair damp from the shower.

"Elena?" he looked surprised, but not unhappy to see her.

She knew. Even if Bonnie hadn't told her anything, she still would've known. She saw it on him. That wasn't her brother. He needed help.

Elena got up and hugged him so tightly that her arms hurt. "Hey, Jer," she said gently.

"What are you doing here?" he asked when she pulled away.

"I just came for a quick visit," she was a terrible liar. She hated that about herself. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too," Jeremy said. His look was distant, peculiar. He sat on the bed to put his socks on and Elena could clearly see that his hands were trembling. She sighed, not sure if she's mad or sad.

"Jeremy," she called, her voice stern. "Look at me."

He turned his head to her, but he refused to make an eye contact.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" now there was anger in Elena's voice. She wanted to do this without fighting, but just couldn't help it. She was pissed off. Her brother had everything that he wanted and he was prepared to throw it all away. Why would he do something like that?

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

Elena's already had enough. She quickly crossed the room, opened Jeremy's underwear drawer and started digging through it.

"What are you doing?" there was panic in Jeremy's voice.

"You know very well what I'm doing!" Elena raised her voice. When she found what she was looking for, she turned around, her face flushed with anger. "I see that your secret hiding spots haven't changed!" she spilled the pills from the little bottle on the floor and crushed it with her foot. She did the same with the bottle that was hidden under the loose wooden floorboard.

"Elena, stop!" Jeremy grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me! Why are you doing this, Jeremy? Look at yourself!" she screamed. She could feel the tears burning her eyes. "You are young, you have your whole life ahead of yourself and you're destroying your body! Why? Tell me why, please!"

"I don't know, okay!" he yelled, running his hand through his hair. "Once I took one, I couldn't stop myself from taking the next one and the next one… " his voice was trembling. He fell on the floor on his knees and buried his head in his hands, his whole body shaking.

Elena couldn't stand looking at him broken like this. She kneeled next to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "You need help, Jer. Will you let me help you?" she whispered.

Jeremy nodded, burying his face in his sister's neck.

Elena hugged him even tighter, tears running down her face. This is going to be very long and very hard battle to fight.

* * *

><p>After helping his mother with the dishes, Damon climbed up the stairs and made his way to his brother's room. He got tired of putting this talk off. It was time for him to get everything off his chest.<p>

When he walked into the room, Stefan was unpacking his suitcase. He didn't look so surprised to see Damon, like he knew what was coming. "Damon. Hey."

"That was one awkward dinner, huh?" Damon smirked, cutting straight to the chase.

Stefan let out a laugh. "Yeah, it sure was. Listen, Damon…"

"No, let me talk, please," Damon cut him off. Stefan didn't say anything, letting him know that he can continue.

"You and I… We haven't been brothers for a long, long time."

Stefan nodded, agreeing with him.

"I can't quite remember when it happened. Probably when father started hating me and worshiping you…" Damon frowned. "Sorry, that's not the point, I'm not here to talk about that. The point is… We _were _brothers once, Stefan. And I would really want us to be brothers again. I don't want to hate you. You're my family," he couldn't help but notice Stefan's look soften.

"I'm sorry, Damon," Stefan said when he realized that Damon's not going to talk anymore. "I'm sorry about everything, especially about Katherine. I never wanted to hurt you. But she… She let me think that what I was doing was okay. I can't explain it, it was like she got me under her spell. And she didn't dump me. I dumped her when I realized what I have done and how much pain I've caused you. I was so stupid and oblivious and…"

"I forgive you," Damon said and Stefan's eyes went wide. "I don't want her to stand between the two of us. We can't let her do that. It's what she's always wanted. We can't hate each other forever just because of her…"

Stefan smiled and stepped closer to his brother. "Brothers?" he asked hopefully, putting his hand out to Damon.

Damon stared at him for a moment and instead of shaking his hand, he pulled him in a brotherly hug. He couldn't remember the last time they've hugged. Probably when they were five.

"Brothers," Damon said, grinning.

* * *

><p><strong>So you've realized that there's no Delena in this chapter. This chapter isn't about Damon and Elena as a couple, it's about their relationships with other people, in this case, with their brothers. I hope you don't mind, I really wanted to do that. Besides, some of you requested to see other characters in the story as well. :)<strong>

**I hope you liked this chapter, let me know what you think about Stefan and Jeremy.  
><strong>

**Don't forget to review!**

**Love you all xo**


	18. What now?

_Hey guys!_

_I'm back with the new chapter! I have nothing important to tell you except that I hope you'll like it! _

_And of course, review, let me know what you think :)_

_Chapter 18, here we go._

* * *

><p>TWO MONTHS LATER<p>

"Ugh, I don't ever want to leave this bed. It's so warm and cozy and you're in it and there's nothing but rain and cold outside. But I need to get to the fucking work," Elena groaned against Damon's chest. She used one hand to pull the covers higher and the other hand to grip Damon's waist tighter, snuggling closer to him.

His chest rumbled a little under her head as he let out a laugh. "Elena, honey," Damon said, clearly amused by her silliness. "It's Sunday."

She looked up, her eyes still sleepy. "It is?" a smile played in the corners of her mouth.

"Mhm," Damon mumbled and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "We can stay in bed as long as we want," he smirked.

"Oh, I wish that was true," Elena frowned. "But I have to get up and make Jeremy breakfast."

"Come on, he's old enough to make himself breakfast," Damon groaned. "Besides, he hasn't even got up yet. You don't have to go yet."

"Okay, fine. Just a little bit," Elena raised her head and placed a sweet kiss on Damon's lips. She felt him smile in the middle of the kiss. She loved when that happened. It was so adorable.

"Do you think he's okay? Jeremy?" she asked after a couple of minutes lying in silence.

"Does he look okay to you?"

"He does. I mean, he looks way better than when I brought him here. It seems to me like meetings with the support group are really helping him."

"Then he's okay. You know him better than anyone else."

"Yeah, but I'm still worried about him," Elena frowned, her forehead wrinkling.

Damon started stroking her hair. "Of course you're worried, you're his sister and he has drug problems. But he'll be fine. I mean, who wouldn't be fine with you as their sister?"

Elena laughed, running her hand up and down his chest. She could feel how firm his chest were under the thin fabric of the T-shirt he slept in. "I hope you're right. I know that he misses Bonnie and school and everything, but I really feel like living with me is the best solution for him. At least until I'm sure he's better. Then he can go back to his life."

"Please, do you think he really minds living in New York? True, he replaced med school with working as a bartender in some mediocre bar, but it's only temporary. I'm telling you, he's good."

"Yeah, that's true. I like having him here with me. And right now I need to get up and make him breakfast. You know how he is when he doesn't eat," Elena started getting up from the bed, but Damon stopped her.

"You know what? You stay here for a little while and I'll go make him breakfast. That way you can have a couple of more minutes to sleep," he smiled.

"Really? Oh, you're the best!" she kissed him one more time and watched him get up.

"I know," he smirked, putting his pants on and leaving the room.

* * *

><p>When Elena woke up for the second time that morning, she could hear someone talking and laughing in the kitchen. She got up, guided by the wonderful smell of food and made her way to the kitchen. The smile appeared on her face as soon as she saw what was going on.<p>

Damon was standing next to the stove with an apron on, drinking coffee while making pancakes. And on the other side of the kitchen counter, sitting in the chair and chewing devouringly was Jeremy.

"More syrup," he said, extending his hand. Damon passed the syrup to Jeremy and they continued chatting. It took them a few moments to notice Elena, who was leaning on the doorframe and grinning like an idiot. This was actually the first time that she saw Damon and Jeremy getting along like that.

"Hey, you're awake! Come and eat while they're still fresh," Damon grinned. "And before Hulk junior eats everything," he added, glaring at Jeremy.

"What? I'm hungry!" he responded, mouthful of pancakes. "And I have to admit, these are not as disgusting as I thought they would be."

"Is that a compliment hiding under there?" Damon smirked, pouring Elena some coffee.

Jeremy just shot him a glare in response, while Elena watched the two of them with amusement.

At the beginning, when Jeremy started living with her, she was worried about how he will react to Damon. He spent a lot of time in Elena's apartment and he often stayed the night so Jeremy was basically forced to hang out with him. And even though neither one of them wanted to admit it, they've grown fond of each other. She knew that, despite Damon's constant teasing and Jeremy calling him "dick" all the time, they liked each other. And Elena couldn't be happier about it.

While she waited for her pancakes, she slowly drank her coffee, watching Damon focused on cooking. The little details on him were what she loved the most. For example, how adorable he looked when focused on something, his bottom lip curled and his forehead slightly wrinkled. He could make normal, everyday things, like cooking, seem exciting.

When he noticed that Elena was staring at him, Damon looked up.

"What?" he raised his eyebrows.

"Nothing," she shook her head, grinning.

He just smirked at her, took a plate, put hot pancakes on it and handed it to Elena. "Dig in."

She poured some syrup on the top and took a large bite. "Wow, these are delicious, just like everything else you make. You know, I wouldn't mind if you made us breakfast more often," she smiled.

Just when he was about to respond, his phone rang in his pocket.

"Hello?"

The caller seemed to have said something disturbing because Damon's eyes went wide and the look on his face was devastating. He grabbed his jacket and rushed out through the door without saying anything.

"What was that?" Elena turned to Jeremy, completely confused.

Jeremy kept staring at the door, having the same puzzled look on his face as Elena. "No idea."

* * *

><p>"So he just stormed off?" Caroline asked, leaning forward in her chair.<p>

"Yup," Elena sighed. "I don't know who called him, but it wasn't good news. I'm getting really worried, Care. I've been calling him since he left yesterday and he hasn't returned any of my calls."

"Have you tried calling Alaric? Maybe he knows what's going on."

"Yeah, I have. He's just as clueless as I am. He says Damon didn't pick up any of his calls either and that he hasn't even showed up for work. I even went to his house and wasn't home," Elena rubbed her forehead. "It's weird. Since we're together, there hasn't been a day that I haven't heard from him. That's why I'm freaking out."

"Relax, I'm sure he's fine," Caroline said, trying to calm her best friend down. "Maybe he just needs some time to take care of whatever's bothering him. I'm sure you'll hear from him soon."

"God, I hope you're right," Elena looked at her friend. "Now tell me what's bothering _you_? You look upset," she added.

"Ugh," the blonde groaned. "You just know me so well, don't you?"

Elena shrugged, a small smile appearing in the corners of her mouth. "Come on, spill it."

"I think Klaus is cheating on me," she blurted out.

Elena's eyes went wide. "What?!"

"I don't if it's just me being paranoid, but lately he's been very secretive and mysterious. He makes weird calls all the time, sometimes he just disappears without even telling me where he's going… I don't know, Elena… It was probably too good to be true. I just love him so much. But this- suspecting that he replaced me with someone else- it's killing me from the inside," Caroline's eyes started filling with tears.

"Care, hey," Elena said gently, reaching for her friend's hand and squeezing it. "Honestly, I don't think he's cheating on you. He loves and cherishes you more than anything, I can see it."

"You think?" the other girl sniffed, squeezing Elena's hand back.

Elena nodded reassuringly. "I do. But if you think that there's something wrong, you should definitely talk to him. You can't just keep wondering if he's cheating on you or not."

Caroline let out a deep breath. "Yeah, I know that I have to talk to him. I just can't bring myself to do it…" her look went down on her watch. "Oh, shit, I have to be in court in 20 minutes!" she quickly got up and placed a kiss on Elena's cheek. "Thank you for the talk, I'll see you later. Bye!"

"Caroline!" Elena called when she was about to leave her office. "Don't worry too much, okay?"

"You too," the blonde said, smiling at her friend.

* * *

><p>Just a couple of minutes after Caroline left, there was a knock on Elena's door. Right after that, Klaus's head appeared peaking in the office.<p>

"Hello, Elena. Are you busy? I'm sorry if I'm interrupting you," he said politely, still standing on the doorway.

Elena let out a laugh. "No, it's fine, my mind's to occupied to be productive anyway so you're really not interrupting me in anything. Come in. If you're looking for Caroline, I'm afraid she just left. She needed to be in court."

"Yes, I know," Klaus stepped inside. "I actually want to speak with you."

"With me?" Elena looked surprised. "Okay. How can I help you?"

He came closer to her desk and took something out of his pocket. It was a little box and when Klaus opened it, Elena's jaw dropped. Inside the box was a diamond ring.

"So, what do you think?"

"Wow, Klaus, I'm really flattered, but I don't think Caroline would like if we…"

"Oh, shut up," Klaus rolled his eyes. "This is serious. Do you think she'll like it?"

"Will she like it? Are you crazy? What kind of a girl wouldn't like to wear a diamond the size of a walnut on her finger?"

"Alright then," he put the ring back to his pocket.

"What I don't understand is why you came to me, when you know Caroline will love it."

Klaus let out a sigh and placed himself in the chair next to Elena. "This is not about the ring… I came here because I am not certain if she will say yes. You are, after all, her best friend and I thought you might know the answer to my doubts."

"Of course she'll say yes!"

"You don't think it's too early for us to get married? I mean, we haven't been together for such a long time."

"No," Elena shifted in her chair, looking Klaus in the eyes. "Look, she loves you. And you love her. It's that simple. Besides, you two already are like a married couple," she grinned.

Klaus laughed, getting up from the chair. "Okay. Thank you for reassuring me."

"Klaus…" Elena called nervously. "There is one thing."

"Yes?"

"Caroline thinks that you're cheating on her."

"What? I would never cheat on her, I thought she knew that," Klaus looked horrified just by the thought of it. "She means everything to me. How could she possibly think that I replaced her with another woman?"

"Well, she says you've been all weird and mysterious lately."

It took a couple of moments for him to think about what Elena said. "Oh, no. I have been planning our trip to Paris, that is why I was mysterious. I have everything settled. I want to propose her there. Oh, my poor Caroline," he shook his head. "I cannot believe she actually thought I was cheating on her."

"You're proposing her in Paris?! Holy shit! She'll get a heart attack when she finds out you're taking her to _Paris_. Wow, _Paris_," Elena kept repeating.

"Do you think it will do?"

"Do I think it will… Are you kidding me?" she asked, still in shock.

Klaus laughed. "Alright. You have been very helpful, thank you. I have to go now. Goodbye."

"Bye," Elena smiled. "And congratulations on the engagement!"

* * *

><p>Elena let out a deep breath as she dialed Stefan's number. It was her last chance of finding out what's going on with Damon. She really hoped it would work.<p>

Her hear beat fast as the phone rang. When he finally picked up, she felt the mix of relief and fear.

"Hello?" his voice sounded kind of weird to Elena, but she thought that she'd just imagined it.

"Stefan, hi. It's Elena. I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, but I wouldn't call you if it wasn't emergent. I can't seem to reach Damon for the past two days. He isn't home, he isn't at work, he's not answering my calls… I'm worried. Do you have any idea of where he might be?"

"Yeah, I do," this time Elena could really hear pain in his voice, like it was difficult for him to speak. "He's in MysticFalls."

"Why? What is he doing there?"

"We're both here, Elena. Our…" his voice cracked and he made a long pause. "Out mother died yesterday."

* * *

><p><strong>I know, I know, I'm a terrible person.<strong>

**Yup, this is the drama I've been preparing you guys for. I'm sorry, but it just needed to be done. It's very important for the rest of the story and how everything will unfold. **

**But of course, we're not near the end yet, don't worry :)**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to review!**

**Love you all xo**


	19. Family matters

_Heeeyyy lovies!_

_Long time no see, huh? I know, I'm a huge bitch and I am so so sooo sorry for keeping you wait for such a long time, but the school is really sucking out every tiny bit of energy and inspiration out of me. :(_

__But I've finally managed to finish this chapter and I really hope you'll like it! Even though it has a lot of angst, I really enjoyed writing it.__

_And I want to thank every single one of you for reading and reviewing my story because I've hit 150 reviews with the last chapter! I'm so incredibly happy about it because when I first started this story, I had no idea it's gonna be such a success! I love you guys! Keep reviewing!_

_Chapter 19, here we go!_

* * *

><p>He could see her from the distance. She was standing underneath the old oak tree, slightly shivering. The day was cold enough as it was, but cemetery and the funeral made it somehow even colder. Elena clenched her black coat tighter to body, listening to the priest muttering something that Damon didn't even bother to hear or understand.<p>

He caught her sad, pleading look a few times during the ceremony. Even without looking at her, Damon knew she was worried. That's what she does. She worries about people.

He knew that what he was doing was wrong. He knew that he shouldn't have pushed her away. He should've talked to her. But if he talked to her, he would surely break and he couldn't do that. He wouldn't let himself that. And it would only make Elena worry even more, and that's the last thing he wanted.

Damon swallowed when he felt the sting of tears in the back of his throat.

The whole funeral was a blur. The only thing that kept going through his mind was that his mother was gone and he's never going to see her again. He couldn't wait for the ceremony to be over so that he could get away from everything.

He didn't want people's condolences or their pity. It was Stefan's and father's job to deal with people. Damon just didn't want to. He couldn't.

When the ceremony finally ended, Damon turned around and stormed off, ignoring Stefan's desperate calls to come back.

* * *

><p>"Heey, pregnant lady!" Elena smiled when Jenna opened the door of her apartment. "Come here," she hugged her cousin tightly. "Ooh, I can feel the bump, it's pretty obvious now! How are you two doing?" she asked, pointing at Jenna's belly.<p>

"First of all, come in," Jenna said and closed the door after Elena walked inside. "And to answer your question, we are doing great," she beamed, gently rubbing her belly.

"Yeah, you're doing great now. But one hour ago, you were totally freaking out," Alaric, who was sitting on the couch, muttered with a frown on his face.

Jenna turned to him and shot him a glare. "What was that?"

"Nothing, honey," he grinned, but when Jenna turned around, he looked at Elena and shaped "mood swings" with his mouth.

Elena laughed and sat on the couch next to him.

"I think you probably know why I'm here," she said to Alaric, her face turning serious.

"Yeah, I know," he sighed, turning around to face Elena. "I don't know where he is, Elena. I wish I could help you. But I haven't talked to him for a week. He isn't returning any of my calls, and of course, he hasn't showed up for work."

"Ugh," Elena groaned. "I don't know what to do anymore, Ric. I've tried everything. I've been calling him, sending e-mails, texts… At first I thought that he just needed some space and I've decided I'd give him that. But it's been over a week since the funeral and I'm really concerned about him," she let out a breath, her face filled with worry.

"Have you tried reaching Stefan? Maybe he knows how to get to Damon…"

"Yeah, he's actually paid me a visit yesterday…"

"He has?" Jenna said in surprise. She had just returned from the kitchen with three mugs filled with hot chocolate. "Here, you look like you could use this."

Elena took the mug from Jenna, enjoying the warmth that heated her hands when she held the hot chocolate.

"Yup, Stefan came to my apartment," she continued, remembering the even from last night.

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_Stefan? What are you doing here?" Elena asked in surprised, but not rude manner. Stefan kind of grew in her eyes since the first time she saw him. It wasn't just pity, it was also the good side of him that she got to know. She decided she would give him a chance, but seeing him at her door was still pretty weird. _

_"__Um… I'm sorry, I know I should've called or something, but I really need to talk to you," he said in his usual, serious tone of voice. _

_"__Yeah, sure, come in," Elena moved from the doorway, giving him space to come inside. "Want coffee? I just made some."_

_"__Yeah, why not. It's pretty late for coffee, but I can't sleep anyway," Stefan said and sat on the couch._

_"__So, what did you want to talk about?" Elena asked, handing him coffee and sitting next to him. _

_"__What do you think? My brother, of course," he ran his fingers through his hair. _

_He looked pretty wrecked. His eyes were red and there were big, dark circles under them, like he hasn't slept for days. His hair and clothes were messy, which was very uncommon for Stefan Salvatore. _

_It was obvious to Elena that he was stressed out and totally lost. _

_"__Have you talked to him lately?" he asked, his voice cracking a little bit._

_"__Nope," Elena shook her head. "I was hoping you did."_

_"__Come on, Elena, you and me both know that between the two of us, you'd be the one Damon would talk to." _

_"__Yeah, you're probably right. But he didn't talk to me. Apparently, he doesn't talk to anyone," her look went down and she stared blankly in her mug._

_Stefan let out a deep breath. "I know that what I'm about to say may seem selfish but I really need my brother, Elena. Now more than ever. Our mother..." he stopped talking for a moment and closed his eyes. "Our mother is gone. We should stick together."_

_"__I know. But you know Damon and how he is…"_

_"__Yes. I know. He pushes people away when it gets hard. I know that very well," he shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. _

_"__So what are we supposed to do now? How to get him back?" Elena asked, even though she knew Stefan didn't have an answer. _

_"__I brought you something," Stefan reached in his jacket pocket and took the white envelope out. "Give this to Damon when you see him. I really want him to read it. He needs to read it."_

_"__What is that?" Elena asked, a little bit confused. _

_"__It's a letter. From our mother. I got one, too. She wrote it years ago, for us to read it when she dies. Can you get this to Damon?"_

_Elena took the envelope in her hands carefully like it was something very precious and fragile. "Yeah, of course. I'll make sure he reads this," she nodded. "And I'll make sure he talks to you, okay?" she squeezed his hand. _

_She could see tears shining in his eyes when he looked up. "Thank you," he said slowly, squeezing her hand back._

* * *

><p>"Elena, what are you waiting for? Go to Damon's house. Talk to him. Make sure he's okay," Jenna said when Elena gave them a short summary of Stefan's visit.<p>

Elena stared at her for a long time and then suddenly got up.

"Yeah. Yeah, you know what? He's had enough space. I need to go and see him," she grabbed her jacket and stormed out of the apartment.

_Knock, knock. _

Damon groaned against his pillow and pulled the covers over his head. Whoever has decided to disturb him is going to have to give up because he didn't plan to get out of his bed any time soon.

There was one more _knock _on his door, followed by several more, but a lot louder than the first one. Damon still didn't move, assuming that the person at the door would leave if he doesn't answer.

What he didn't know was that the person at the door was very persistent and very, very angry. And just a little bit desperate.

"Damon! Open up, I know you're in there!"

Damon froze when he heard Elena's voice. He hasn't heard that voice in a while and he missed it so much. There was nothing he wanted more than to get up, open that door and throw his arms around her, but he couldn't. He couldn't face her now when he was such a mess.

"Damon, seriously! I'm going to keep knocking until I break this door and I know how expensive it was!" she yelled, her knocking becoming louder and louder.

"Or did you forget I had a key?" she said after a few moments. "Yeah, giving it to me doesn't seem such a good idea now, huh?"

"Okay," she said when she realized he isn't planning to open the door. "Okay, I'm coming in."

There was a clicking sound of the key turning in the lock and the angry footsteps on the stairs before the door of Damon's room flew open.

Elena already had a whole, pissed off speech prepared in her head, but it all disappeared when she saw him.

There were empty bourbon bottles on the night stand, clothes scattered all over the floor, boxes of unfinished takeout food next to the bed and somewhere, in the middle of all that mess, there was Damon, lying in the bed in the cocoon made from covers. Even though she could see only the top of his head, Elena immediately felt all his pain, grief and misery.

"Oh, Damon," she said, her voice cracking and tears appearing in her eyes.

When she moved closer to the bed, Damon turned his head and looked her straight in the eyes for a brief moment. It was incredibly difficult and painful for Elena to look at him like that. She knew that she needed to do everything she could to make him feel better so she did the first thing that came to her mind.

She kicked her shoes off and slowly climbed into the bed. She lied behind Damon, putting her arm gently around his shoulder and leaning her head on his back.

Damon immediately felt better. Her radiating warmth comforted him, made him feel safe and made him believe that everything will be okay.

He took her hand and squeezed it tightly, her fingers intertwining with his. They both closed their eyes, enjoying each other's presence without saying a word.

They fell asleep very soon, Damon exhausted from too much pain and Elena exhausted from too much worry. They've slept for the whole night and Elena woke up first, when the sun was just about to come out. She stared at him for a while, watching him sleep soundly and stroking his hair.

When he woke up, a small smile appeared on his lips. He was happy that she was still there. "Hey," he said quietly.

"Good morning," she whispered, kissing his temple and running her fingers down his cheek.

"Mmm," he mumbled. "What have I done to deserve a girl like you?"

Elena leaned forward and kissed him softly. She was super gentle because he seemed so fragile, like every single touch could make him slip away from her arms.

"I've missed you," she said. "A lot."

"I've missed you too. More than you can imagine," he kissed her hand. "I'm sorry for being so stubborn and not returning your calls."

Elena let out a laugh. "Thank you."

They lied in silence for a couple of minutes before a thought came to Elena's mind.

"I have something for you," she got up and pulled a white envelope out of her bag. She held Claire Salvatore's letter in her hand.

* * *

><p><strong>And that's it for this chapter!<strong>

**Don't forget to review, let me know what you think!**

**Hopefully, I'll see you soon. I'll do my best to post the next chapter as soon as possible. The winter holidays are so close and I'll have a lot more time on my hands to write! **

**Love you all, xo**


	20. The Letter

_Heey lovies! _

_I'm back with a new chapter!_

_I'm not going to ramble about it much, I just hope you enjoy it!_

_Chapter 20, here we go._

* * *

><p>"What's that?" Damon asked Elena, his head barely visible under the covers.<p>

"It's a letter. Written by your mother," as soon as Elena said those words, Damon's expression changed. His face turned white and serious.

"Don't worry, I didn't read it. Stefan stopped by at my place the other day and he wanted me to give you this, since you weren't returning any of his calls," she sat at the edge of the bed, staring at the envelope in her hands.

"We can read it together... Or you can read it alone if you want..." she said softly.

"Let's read it now," Damon took the envelope from Elena and opened it quickly. He looked at Elena for one very long moment.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here, we'll read it together, okay?" she touched his arm gently.

He nodded and cleared his throat before he started to read.

* * *

><p><em>My dear boy,<em>

_If you are reading this, it means something has happened to me sooner than I expected. I wrote these letters to you and Stefan when you were very young because I knew how my death would make you feel and I knew that you will need something to help you get through this._

_You are probably grown up now, at least I hope so. I hope I got to see my beautiful boys growing up and becoming beautiful men. I hope you are everything you've wanted to be and that you've succeeded in life. I'm sure you've chosen the right path in life and that I was very proud of you. But most importantly, I hope that you have love in your life. I hope that you are surrounded by people who love you. And knowing you, Damon, you are, but you might not see it. You've always considered yourself unworthy of someone's love, but that's not true. You are worthy. _

_There's something I want to ask you. Take care of your father, Damon, please. I know that you think he isn't very fond of you, but deep down, he loves you in his own special way. You are his son and he would do anything for you, even though you two have had your issues. He's probably lost now that I'm gone and he needs both of his sons to be there for him. And talk to Stefan, please. Don't shut him out. He needs you, too. You three all need each other in times like this._

_ There's so much more that I'd love to tell you, but it wouldn't fit on this paper. I'll just sum it up and tell you that I love you. I love you, Damon, more than anything. You and your brother are the best accomplishments that I've ever made in my entire life. Don't let my death get you off your path. I know it must be difficult for you, but sticking together with your brother and father will get you through this._

_And for the end, I left you my engagement ring in this envelope (at least I hope your father remembered to put it in here). It belonged to your father's grandmother and it's been in the Salvatore family for a very long time. Since you are my eldest son, this is passing on to you. Choose wisely- give it to the girl with whom you want to spend the rest of your life. Give it to the girl you're sure is__ **the one**__. How will you know? Trust me, you'll just know. _

_Remember that I love you, no matter what. Even though I'm not on this Earth anymore, I'm always with you and I will always and forever love you. You are not alone._

_Mom _

* * *

><p>When Damon was done reading, he took out the ring out of the envelope and stared at it for a long time. Elena saw it before on Claire's hand. It was antique and beautiful, made out of silver, with the letter S carved on it.<p>

She didn't want to say anything. She couldn't. Words were stuck in her throat and tears stung in the back of her eyes. Elena couldn't bear seeing him like this. All she wanted to do was to hug him and tell him everything's going to be okay, but she knew it would be a lie.

When Damon finally looked up, his beautiful blue eyes were filled with tears and his expression pained. They stared at each other for a moment until Elena realized that her cheeks were wet from tears. She quickly wiped them off, angry at herself. Who gave her the right to cry? Damon's mother died and she's the one who's crying. She should be the one to comfort him, not the other way around.

She took his hand, swallowing away the tears. She brought his hand to her lips and kissed every knuckle. "You can cry if you want to. It's okay to cry," she whispered, not letting go of his hand.

"No," Damon shook his head. "I don't want to. It won't help, trust me, I've tried," he said, his voice cracking. He took the letter, fold it and carefully put it back into the envelope, along with the ring before he put it on his nightstand. He's going to need to read this later again and again and again.

"Can I ask you something? I know it's probably a dumb question right now, but I'm really wondering..." Elena said quietly, not making an eye contact with him.

"Yeah, sure, you can ask me anything," he said softly. "Hey," he touched her cheek, making her look at him. "Don't worry; I'm not going to break. As long as you're here, I'm okay," he managed to produce a small smile.

Elena took a deep breath, letting his words sink in. "You just got this ring now... Which means Claire didn't give it to you when you and Katherine got engaged..." she stopped talking.

"No, she did not," Damon said. "I guess she thought Katherine wasn't the one... And she was right, obviously."

"Yeah, she was," Elena smiled. "So, what now?"

"Now, I listen to my mother. First I talk to my brother and then I pay a visit to dad," he emphasized the last word, obviously not too thrilled about the idea.

"She's right, you know," Elena said quietly. "You should all stick together right now."

"You don't think I know that?" he looked at her, his eyes piercing through her, sending shivers down her spine. "She'd always been right," he sighed. "You know, for the last week I keep asking myself the same question: What if? What if she didn't decide to get some groceries that morning? What if she decided to stay home and not to sit in that car? What if she didn't lose control of the vehicle? Would she still be alive? Or maybe something else would happen… Maybe she was meant to die…" he ran his hand through his messy hair and let out a deep breath.

"Don't do that, Damon, don't torture yourself like that. You can't change what happened."

"I know," he nodded. "I wish I could."

"Yeah, I know," Elena took both of his hands in hers and looked him in the eyes. "You need time to heal. And the best way to start with healing is getting out of this bed. It's time to face reality, Damon," she said gently, waiting for his reaction.

"Okay," he finally said after a couple of long moments of silence. "Let's get out of this room. That's a start, right? Maybe we could make breakfast? I haven't eaten anything proper in days."

Elena couldn't help but grin. She was surprised to see that he's agreed to her proposal. "Yeah, of course we can do that. How about you take a shower while I'm making us something to eat?"

"That would be great. I feel smelly," Damon said, letting go of her hands. He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you for everything you've been doing for me. You have no idea how much it means to me. How much you mean to me… Just your presence makes me believe that things will get better."

Elena closed her eyes, listening to his confession. She was taken away by his words, especially because she knew how hard it was for him to express his feelings. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm always here for you," she pressed a kiss to his lips before getting off the be and heading to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>It was very hard for Elena to focus on her work. It was almost noon and she sat in her office for hours, staring at her computer and doing nothing productive. She took two days off to be with Damon, but her mini-vacation was over and she had to come back to the office or Caroline, Tyler and the rest of the crew would make her phone explode.<p>

All that she could think about was Damon. He seemed somewhat okay when she left his house this morning, but then again, he was incredibly good at hiding his feelings. Elena couldn't help but worry. He said he'd come back to work today. She hoped he meant that because he could really use some human contact, other than her. They've spent the last three days in their cocoon inside of Damon's house, talking and eating and sleeping and cuddling all the time. Elena knew that's what Damon needed. But it was time to face the real world. But all day she's been wondering if he's okay and how he's handling the real world.

Caroline interrupted her thoughts when she walked into her office, carrying two cups. "One hot chocolate for me and one double espresso for you. You look like could use some," she said gently, without the usual chipper in her voice.

"Yeah, I could. Thank you so much," Elena smiled and took a sip of her coffee. "I'm sorry I'm not much of a use today… I haven't even managed to do that paperwork you've sent me," she sighed. "I'm sorry," she said once more.

"Hey, don't worry about that. I'll have someone else do it. I know that these past few days have been rough… How's Damon?" the blonde asked quietly, taking a sip of her chocolate.

"He seemed fine when I left this morning… I hope he still is, I'm going to call him soon, it's almost lunchtime so he should be available. I know I'm not supposed to worry that much, but I just can't help it. Please, take my mind off of it. Tell me about you and Klaus. How was the proposal? We haven't had a chance to talk at all!"

Caroline's eyes shined when Elena mentioned Klaus, but she hesitated to talk.

"Caroline, you can talk, seriously, I'm fine," Elena smiled. "And I'm really curious."

"Okay," Caroline said, grinning. "So, I was just about to ask him if he's cheating on me when he said he had a surprise. And then I thought, maybe he's figured out that I'm suspicious so he's trying to convince me otherwise… But I've decided to go with it. And then he took me to the airport and we flew to Paris and I was freaking shocked, but also super excited, I mean, it was Paris! He took me to see the Eiffel Tower, obviously, he knows how much I've wanted to see it and he proposed me there and it was absolutely beautiful and romantic and it was everything I've ever dreamed of!"

"You've said yes, right?" Elena teased.

"Of course I've said yes, you silly!" Caroline laughed.

"Well then, we have a wedding to plan," Elena smiled.

Caroline's eyes went wide and Elena already knew what was going to happen. She was going to start talking about the dresses and florists and cakes and restaurants and the church and…

Fortunately, Elena was saved by the bell. Just when Caroline opened her mouth to talk, her phone rang.

"It's Stefan," Elena said.

"Oh, I'll get out then. I'll see you later, bye!" she blew her a kiss and headed out.

"Hey, Stefan, what's up?"

* * *

><p><strong>Don't worry, I didn't leave you a cliffhanger because something bad's happening again. I just did it because I couldn't fit this conversation in this chapter. You're going to have to come back for the next one to see it! haha I know I'm sneaky :)<strong>

**I worked late for this chapter and I really hope you've enjoyed it!**

**Don't forget to review, let me know what you think!**

**Love you all xo**


	21. A Whole New Day

_Hello, lovies! _

_I'm finally back with a new chapter! _

_I want to let you guys know that my fic turned one recently! I can't believe it's been a year since I first posted this story. So this way I just want to thank you all for reading. I love and appreciate every single one of you (just in case you didn't know that!). _

_Seriously, all the support I'm getting from you is amazing. _

_Enough of ranting, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review, let me know what you think!_

* * *

><p>„Hey, Stefan, what's up?"<p>

„Elena, hi! Um, I'm sorry to bother you, I know that you're probably working, but I just wanted to say thank you."

„For what?" Elena asked, puzzled.

„For whatever you did to Damon. It worked. He called me this morning and said that he wants to meet up with me this afternoon to talk. He sounded really genuine, like he really wants to talk. So I figured you've pay him a visit."

A smile on Elena's face grew wider as Stefan talked. „Wow, I'm glad to hear that. Yeah, I went to see him and we talked a lot and I really hope he's going to be okay. I'm worried about him, you know how he is…"

„Oh, trust me, I know", Stefan said, sighing. „Really, Elena, thank you so much. You have no idea how happy I am that he has you. You're such a great influence and you make him a better person."

Elena's heart warmed when she heard his words. „Oh, Stefan, thank you. I hope you're right. And I hope your talk with him goes well and that you two can sort out everything that needs to be sorted out. And if it doesn't, don't worry, he'll come around. Good luck."

„Okay. Thanks, Elena. It was nice talking to you. Bye."

„You too, Stefan. Bye."

When Elena hung up, she felt relieved. If Damon wants to talk to Stefan, then he clearly thought about everything she's said to him. He's going to be there for his brother, like his mother would want. He should be okay. Everything's going to be okay.

* * *

><p>Elena got home from work much later than usual. Three days of work was a lot more to catch up than she thought. She wanted to pay a visit to Damon after work, but it was too late now and she was extremely exhausted so she just decided to call him. She opened the door of her apartment, took her shoes off and threw her bag on the floor.<p>

Jeremy sat on the couch, eating pizza and watching some lame cartoon on the TV. A grin spread across his face when he saw his sister.

"Hey, Elena", he said, chewing on what appeared to be his fourth slice. "I got some pizza on my way home from work. Figured you'd be hungry when you come home. Get over here, it's still hot", he tapped the empty space on the couch next to him.

"Aw, thanks. I am hungry. Starving, actually", Elena laughed and sat next to him, grabbing a slice and taking a large bite. "So, how was work?" she asked her brother.

"It was okay", Jeremy said, staring at the TV, refusing to make an eye contact with her.

"Jer… What's wrong?" Elena stopped chewing and concern appeared in her eyes. He was acting strange. She could read him like a book.

"Nothing's wrong. Why would you think something's wrong?" he shrugged.

Elena raised her eyebrows at him. "Because you're all weird, giving me short answers and refusing to look at me. So you either did something stupid or you're hiding something from me. Or both."

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Fine. There's something I want to talk to you about. I didn't want to just blurt this out, but you're so annoying and you're giving me no choice", he turned to look at her. "I want to go back to college."

When he realized Elena's not going to say anything, Jeremy started explaining. "Look, I know you're not too happy about it, but I really feel like I'm ready. I'm okay, Elena. The meetings with my support group have really been helping me and I'm so much better than I was when I got here in the first place. I've talked to mom and dad and they said they're okay with it as long as you are since you're the one who's been living with me and watching me closely for the past months. If you say I'm good to go, I can go."

Elena let out a sigh. "Oh, Jer… I don't know. I have to admit you've made a huge progress and I'm really proud of you", she smiled. "But… Are you sure you're ready? I mean, it's only been a few months…"

"Yeah, I'm ready!" he grinned. "I'm going to keep going to support groups, don't worry about that. There are some near my university, I've checked."

"Okay…" Elena said. "If you promise to do that and to check in with me at least once a week… Then I guess you're good to go back," she breathed, sad look in her eyes.

She thought that Jeremy's going to get up and jump up and down from happiness, that's how excited he looked. But fortunately, he didn't do that. He just hugged her tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!"

"Wow, you're so happy that you're leaving me. Great," Elena made a pouty face.

"No, Lena, I'm sad that I'm leaving you. But I miss Bonnie and my friends and…"

"I know, I know, I'm just messing with you," she cut him off, smirking. "It's just that I don't want you to leave. It's been great having you here. Now I got used to it and I'm going to be super lonely when you leave."

"I loved living with you, too," Jeremy grinned. "It reminded me of the old times, when we were kids. But it's time to go back to the real world now. Besides, you have Damon now, you won't be lonely."

Elena shot him a glare. "That's true, but you're my brother and I love you. I'm going to miss you," she swallowed, trying to shake away the tears. "And I'll worry about you when you're away."

"Oh, Elena, please don't cry", Jeremy pleaded. "I promise I'll call you every single day if you want and visit on regular basis. Okay? And I'll go to the meetings and never do drugs ever again. I'm so sorry that I caused you so many problems and that you've had to worry about me so much. I'm so, so sorry, I'll never do that again."

Even though he said his sister not to cry, tears stung in the back of his throat. "And thank you. Thank you for taking care of me and not giving up on me when I was at my worst," he added, taking Elena's hand and squeezing it tightly.

Elena sniffed and squeezed back. "Don't' thank me, it was no problem taking care of you. You're my little brother. I'll always worry about you. That feeling will never go away. And I'm glad I helped you, but you should give yourself some credit, too. You got better because you wanted to and because you worked hard to achieve that. It's all you, really. I just gave you a little nudge, that's all."

* * *

><p>"Hey, you", Damon answered the phone almost immediately.<p>

"Hey, you", Elena smiled at the sound of his voice. Even though she saw him this morning, she felt like it was so long ago and she missed him very much. She waited all day to talk to him and now she finally had some time. She was lying in bed, in her favorite flannel pajamas, exhausted and ready for sleep. But before she dozes of, she had to talk to Damon.

"Finally found some time for your boyfriend?"

Her smile faded. She suddenly felt really guilty for not calling him sooner. "Oh, Damon, I am so sorry, I wanted to drop by after work, I really did, but I was really busy and didn't really caught some time to call you and…" she started muttering apologies really fast, but he cut her off.

"Elena, stop, I'm just messing with you", she could almost hear his smirk over the phone. "I'm not mad at you, silly."

Elena let out a sigh of relief. "Good. How was your day?" she asked, wondering if he'd tell her about his talk with Stefan.

"It was okay. Busy. Jenna kept smothering me and asking me if I needed something. She probably felt sorry for me so I told her to stop because I got pretty annoyed. And I met up with Stefan for lunch…"

"Really?" Elena pretended to be surprised. "How did it go?"

"I think it went well. We've talked about our mom and our dad and we've sorted some things out. So yeah, I'm glad that we talked", Damon said quietly.

Elena realized that's all he's going to say about that subject. And she was okay with that, she didn't want to push him too hard. She knew how hard it was for him to open up, especially about sensitive things like that.

"Tell me about your day", he said after a couple of moments of silence.

"Umm, as I've already said, it's been hectic in the office. And Caroline kept interrupting, wanting to talk so she slowed me down a little bit… Nothing particularly interesting happened. Oh, right, Jeremy's leaving me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he just came to me today with this idea, which I found incredibly stupid, but he's a grown man, he knows what's best for him", Elena said with a trace of anger in her voice.

Damon let out a laugh. "Wow, you're finally getting rid of the little brat and you don't seem so keen on him leaving. Why is that? I mean, he's ready, he's been clean for months now."

"Yeah, I know", Elena sighed. "It's just that I'll feel so lonely when he leaves."

"For God's sake, Elena, you have me!" Damon said. "Now I'm offended", he pouted.

"You know, that's exactly what Jeremy said. I know I have you and that's awesome, but I got used to taking care of him and…"

"You really like taking care of people, don't you?" he asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Yeah, I do. It makes me feel needed."

"Well, don't worry about that feeling going away because I need you. All the time", his voice was serious now and Elena knew he wasn't joking.

Even though she already knew that, it was nice to actually hear it from him. "Well, you'll have my full attention now that Jeremy doesn't need me anymore. That's probably why you're so thrilled that he's leaving."

"Oh no, I'm busted", he said flatly in a tone that made Elena laugh.

"I just realized I didn't ask you if you were okay", she said, her mood changing rapidly.

Damon let out an exasperated breath. "Seriously, Elena, you too?" he asked bitterly.

"Yeah, Damon, me too. I really want to know."

"Look, I'm fine. Especially now that I've heard your voice. Stop worrying so much, okay? And go to sleep, you sound tired."

"Okay," Elena said, yawning. "And, Damon?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you", she could not believe that she's just said that. It was actually the first time that she said it. She was sure he knew that she loved him already, just like she knew he loved her, too. But they never actually said it to each other.

Elena held her breath, waiting for his reaction.

"I love you, too", he finally whispered after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

"Good", she smiled, feeling like a teenager with butterflies in her stomach.

Even though she couldn't see him, she pictured a smirk on his face. "Goodnight", he said gently.

"Goodnight, Damon", Elena finished their conversation with a stupid grin spread across her face. She buried her face in her pillow, knowing that, after what just happened, she would sleep like a baby and dream of unicorns and rainbows.

* * *

><p><strong>So, I'm actually pretty happy about how this chapter turned out, especially the ending. :D<strong>

**I hope you liked it, too. Don't forget to review!**

**P.S. I know that my Jeremy plotline kind of interwined with the one in the show, but I swear I didn't steal it, I wrote the first part of this chapter before the newest episode came out! Oh well, I just wanted you to know that. **

**Love you all xo**


	22. A perfect reality

_What? Second update in a week from me? Is this real?_

_Yup, this actually happened. I know it's unusual for me, but inspiration hit me and I wrote this chapter in one evening. _

_This chapter's a little shorter than usual, but I wanted to get it done and post it as soon as possible so I hope you guys don't mind :)_

_I hope you like this chapter and please review, your opinions mean so much to me_!

It's been only two weeks. Two weeks since Damon left to discuss business with some big bosses in Washington, Melbourne and Tokyo.

Only two weeks and she was going crazy. Two weeks, but it seemed like forever.

Who knew she'd miss him so much? Elena thanked God, heavens and everything there is that these two weeks have passed. She waited on the airport for Damon's plane to finally arrive. There was nothing more that she wanted in that very moment than to see him. Without him, she was bored, lonely, desperate, and most importantly – horny. After getting used to having sex on regular basis, fourteen days seemed like a long, long time without it.

When Damon said he was leaving, she immediately hated the idea. But there was no choice. It was business and it had to be done. Usually Ric did most of the traveling, but this time he couldn't make it because he had a pregnant girlfriend with raging hormones at home. And since S&S has (only) two bosses, there was no other person to do it than Elena's dear boyfriend. They talked every day of his trip, obviously, but that couldn't satisfy all of her needs.

That's why she almost peed her pants from excitement when she spotted Damon in the distance, trying to break through the crowd of people coming out of the plane. He was looking for her and when he finally saw her face, a wide grin spread across his face.

Elena wanted to run to him like they did in movies, but it seemed like it would be hard to run when you had hundreds of people bumping into you. When she finally managed to push her way to Damon, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, burying her face in the crook of his neck. She could feel the rumble in his chest before she heard him laugh.

"I can't breathe", he whispered, still laughing. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up. She let out a small scream as her legs detached from the ground.

"I've missed you so much", Damon said, giving a little squeeze to Elena's behind as he put her down.

She clasped his hand. "Damon! Leave that for later, we've got people watching us."

He looked around, smirking. "Oh, come on, nobody's watching us."

Elena laughed, rolling her eyes. "I've missed you, too", she pressed a quick kiss on his lips. "Come on, let's get your luggage so we can go home where I can show you exactly how much I've missed you", she gave him a naughty look before turning around to walk, leaving speechless and awestruck Damon behind her.

They barely managed to keep their hands off each other the entire cab drive to Elena's building.

_"I am a grown woman, I can do this, I'm not some horny teenage girl"_, Elena repeated in her mind, but all that took was a single crystal-blue-eyed look from Damon for her brain cells to disappear.

When they at last made it to her apartment, Elena tried her best to quickly unlock the door, which was a little hard to do while her boyfriend kept pressing kisses to her neck. As she finally pushed the door open, he crushed his lips to hers and started taking off her jacket.

And then, all of a sudden, he stopped.

"What?" Elena asked, out of breath, annoyed that he broke the kiss.

"Jeremy's gone, right?"

"Yeah", she murmured against his lips. For the first time in three weeks she was happy that her brother didn't live with her anymore.

"Good", he said and kissed her again, this time with even more lust than before. Somehow they made it to Elena's bedroom, their clothes coming off as they were walking – no, stumbling would probably be a better word - through the apartment.

Damon threw her on the bed and started trailing kisses all over her half-naked body. "Oh, how I've missed you", he mumbled between each kiss as he slowly took off her underwear.

He kept teasing her, nipping and kissing her skin at all the right places and when she was almost ready, she pulled on his hair. "Damon", she whispered through her clenched teeth. "TAKE OFF YOUR FUCKING PANTS", she raised her voice, irritated.

A very familiar, naughty smirk spread across Damon's face. He's always loved torturing her like this. "As you wish, my lady." But in the end, he would of course give her what she wanted.

He got up from the bed for a few seconds to pull his jeans and boxers down with one swift move. He looked at Elena panting on the bed, waiting for him. He grinned and soon he was on top of her, moving graciously inside of her. It didn't take long to make her scream his name.

When they were finished, he collapsed next to her, both of them exhausted. Elena turned to her hip to face Damon. Her limbs felt like jelly and she must've looked terrible, but she didn't care. She was incredibly happy to finally be reunited with this divine man that was somehow, miraculously, hers.

"What have I done to deserve you?" he mumbled, his blue eyes piercing through hers.

She moved closer to him. "You know, I was thinking the exact same thing about you", she pressed a soft kiss on his lips.

He smirked, trying to stifle a yawn.

Elena smiled. He was so cute when he was sleepy. "Come on, let's go to sleep", she said, covering them with a blanket. "You must be tired from your trip."

He put his arm around her waist and managed to mumble something Elena couldn't really understand before he drifted off to sleep.

"I have to admit, this is good. Really good", Damon said, chewing on a mouthful of Elena's homemade meatloaf. It was her mother's recipe and it actually turned out pretty good, to Elena's surprise.

Elena stared at him for a few seconds. "Did you just say that? Did you actually admit that I can cook?"

"Well, okay, I admit it", he rolled his eyes. "I underestimated your cooking abilities a little bit."

"A little bit? No, you underestimated my cooking a lot", Elena laughed. "And you thought you're the only one in this relationship who could cook…"

"I thought that because you never made me anything like this before", he said, taking another bite. "I mean, I don't mind cooking for you, but I wouldn't mind if you did this more often."

"Oh really?" she asked, still laughing.

"Yup."

They ate and sat in comfortable silence for a couple of minutes. It was Saturday and it took them longer than usual to get out of bed, since Damon got back less than 24 hours ago and they had a lot to catch up. To celebrate his successful trip and safe return, Elena had decided to cook lunch, for a change. Damon wasn't really keen on the idea, but he changed his mind as soon as he tried her meatloaf.

"Listen, I've been wanting to ask you something since I came back…" Damon started when they were finished with their meal.

"Okay. What's up?" Elena asked, pouring some more wine in their glasses.

"Um, there's this thing coming up in a couple of weeks… My company's celebrating 5th year anniversary and we're throwing a party in that occasion. I don't really feel like going, but I have to, we've been planning this for months and I can't just bail on it now. So I was wondering if you'd go with me as my date and help me survive this party."

"Of course I'll go!" Elena grinned.

"You will?" his eyes went wide.

"Yeah, why would you even doubt that?"

"I don't know, I just figured, since it'll be full of press and cameras and everything, you won't be so keen on going", he shrugged.

"Well, it doesn't bother me. I mean, you are a famous businessman and showing up with you on public appearances like that is basically chapter one in _How to be Damon Salvatore's girlfriend_ guide."

"Good", he grinned. "I'm actually glad you've said that because I haven't actually introduced you to public yet. I mean, yeah, you keep showing up in the newspaper with me, but I haven't officially declared you as my girlfriend to the press, even though you've been my girlfriend for a while now. I just wanted to put it off for as long as I could, because they'll be onto you as soon as it's out there."

Elena nodded. "I know. But that's one of the "perks" of being successful as you are and you can't avoid it. I guess I'll just have to learn with it", she shrugged, taking a sip of her wine.

"Great, because I'm not planning on letting you go any time soon. Or later", he said it like it was no big deal, but it was a big deal.

Elena's eyes went wide. "You really mean that?"

"Of course. I love you, Elena, you know that."

"I know. But I still love hearing it", she ran her fingers through his hair.

He smiled and stroked her cheek, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear.

Suddenly, her eyes went wide, like she remembered something.

"What is it?" he asked, confused.

"I just realized that I have nothing to wear to the party and I'll probably have to ask Caroline for help. And you know what that means."

Damon tried to suppress his laughter, but failed. "At least four hours of shopping, that's what it means. Oh, my poor baby", he stroked her hair, his body still shaking from laughter.

"Damon , that's not funny! Can't you see what you've gotten me into?" Elena said miserably, emptying her glass.

**Okay, that's it for this chapter, guys!**

**I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's been a while since I wrote pure Delena fluff because a lot of drama's been going on in this story lately .So it's been a pleasure writing this for a change and I know most of you love reading this so it's a win-win! **

**Anyway, thanks for reading and don't forget to review! Every single review is appreciated and I'm so happy when you guys tell me what you think. **

**Love you all xo **


	23. Look who's back

_Heyy lovies!_

_I'm back with a new chapter!_

_I won't ramble too much about it, I just hope you'll like it!_

_Reviews are welcome, as always :) _

* * *

><p>"Liv, calm down. I'm the one who's throwing this party. It's okay for me to be fashionably late," Damon smirked, a little bit too amused by his assistant, who was freaking out completely. She'd been planning this event for months and Damon knew how much she wanted everything to be perfect. Right now, her control-freakiness was annoying, but Olivia Parker was one of his best employees and perfectionism was actually one of her finest qualities.<p>

Even though he couldn't see her, he knew she rolled her eyes at him. She was super sassy. "Oh, come on, Damon, stop trying to be charming," typical Liv, always so sassy. "What do I tell all of these people who are waiting for you and Alaric, who's also late by the way?"

"Just tell them the truth- that we're stuck in traffic. And Alaric has a five month pregnant girlfriend at home so it might take them a little while to come. Don't worry, we'll be there soon," he said with a soothing voice, trying to calm Liv down.

"You better be!"

"Ugh, why is everybody so nervous like it's such a big deal?" Damon said after he hung up.

Elena rolled her eyes, annoyed by his calmness. "Because it is a big deal, Damon. Your company is celebrating its fifth anniversary and a lot of hot shots are going to be there. You have to make a good impression. No, _we _have to make a good impression," she said, nervously playing with her fingers in her lap.

"Hey, it's going to be fine. It's not like it's my first time doing something like this. I know that it's the first time for you, but don't worry, you'll enchant everyone in the room as soon as they lay eyes on you," he smiled at her.

Elena let out a laugh. "Damon, I'm serious."

"I am, too. You look amazing, really. Everyone will be jealous when they see who my date is. I mean, just look at that dress," Damon leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her cheek.

" I'm glad you like it. Caroline helped me pick it. Well, she did all the shopping, actually. I was just there to try on the outfits while she kept bossing me around," she frowned. The dress she was wearing really was beautiful. It was more of gown than a dress, actually. It was long, with thin straps, made of golden silk and it was cut on the back, showing some of Elena's smooth skin. It fit perfectly to her figure. She also wore wonderful golden pumps, also Caroline's pick.

Caroline insisted on taking Elena shopping. Caroline and Klaus were also invited to the party since Klaus's and Damon's company collaborated very often. The girls took one afternoon to search for perfect outfits and 6 hours, two sandwiches, four lattes and a few dozens dresses later, they finally found beautiful dresses for the special evening. Caroline chose a light blue one, since it was Klaus's favorite color. The dress was as long as Elena's was and equally beautiful. It had tiny diamonds along the cleavage and waist line and it looked like something a royal would wear. Caroline looked like a princess in it, especially with her beautiful blonde hair.

Elena's hair was pulled up in a bun, but she left a few curly strands hanging so they framed her face nicely.

When the limo finally pulled over in front of the building, Elena stopped breathing for a few seconds. There were paparazzi literally everywhere, waiting for them to come out.

"Hey, what's wrong? You weren't this nervous before," Damon took her hand and brought it to his lips, placing soft kisses on her knuckles.

"I knew that I should expect a lot of press, but this…"

"Calm down, it's going to be okay. We just have to put on a smile and pose for a few pictures and that's it."

"You make it sound so easy," Elena let out a breath.

"Mr. Salvatore, they are ready for you," the driver announced and Damon looked at Elena.

"You ready?" he smirked, taking her hand and reaching for the doors with his other hand.

Elena gazed in his blue eyes before nodding. "Well, it's too late to say no now."

Damon opened the door, pulling Elena after him. She was blinded by camera flashes the second she stepped out of the car.

She could hear the journalists from all sides, shouting Damon's name. "Mr. Salvatore, can you turn around for a quick picture?" "Mr. Salvatore, can you and your date please stand over there?" "Mr. Salvatore, could I ask you a couple of questions?" "Mr. Salvatore, are you dating Miss Gilbert?"

They knew her name. At first, Elena was surprised, but then she remembered she's the famous lawyer of New York so, of course they knew her name. Besides, they've probably seen her with Damon before. She was so nervous. She didn't know what to do, where to stand, which journalist to listen, how to act… She wasn't used to this much attention and publicity.

Damon kept smiling and greeting the press. He was so good at it. Of course he was, he did this a thousand times before. Elena remembered Damon's advice so she decided to follow. She put on a smile and stood next to him, not letting go of his hand. He wrapped his arm around her waist and squeezed lightly, like he was letting her know she's doing well.

They posed for a few pictures before Damon decided it was time to go inside. When they were away from all the noise and the flashes, Damon leaned forward and Elena felt his lips touch her ear.

"I _really_ like that dress. I can't wait to get you out of it," he whispered into her ear.

Elena froze, her cheeks turning bright red. She didn't have time to response because they entered the building.

The lobby, which looked even bigger than usual, was full of people of all age. It was decorated beautifully. It didn't look like a lobby of some company at all. Everything was in gold and silver, one huge chandelier was hung on the ceiling, there were candles and balloons everywhere, tables with all sorts of yummy expensive food and waiters running around with trays of champagne. Some soft music played in the background. Some people were dancing and some were talking to each other. Elena spotted a few familiar faces, some of them she knew personally and the others were famous businessmen of Manhattan.

"What do you think?" Damon asked her, his hand still on her waist.

"Wow," Elena was speechless. "This is amazing, Damon. Liv and her team did a great job."

"Yeah, I knew I could trust her," Damon smirked. "She might be annoying, but she gets the job done."

In that moment they spotted Liv waving them in the distance. She looked super relived to see them. She was very pretty. Her long blonde curly hair was styled nicely, she wore a knee-length purple dress that fit her perfectly and black high-heeled boots.

"Thank God you're here!" she said as soon as she approached them. "I've almost lost my mind talking to all these people. Some of them are really old and creepy," she said quietly.

"I must say, Liv, what you did with this space is awesome. It looks beautiful and everything is just perfect," Elena smiled at her so that she could ease up a bit.

"Thank you, Elena," Liv grinned. "And what do you think, boss?"

"Eh, it's okay," Damon smirked and Liv rolled her eyes at him.

"We'll wait for Alaric to arrive and then you two can give your speech. But until then, go and talk to people!" She grabbed his arm and nudged him forward.

"Okay, fine. I'll go. Elena, you coming with me?"

"No, I'll go and say hi to Caroline. I'll catch up," she smiled.

Damon left and Elena couldn't help but stare at his behind, especially after what he said to her when they arrived at the party. He looked amazing in his new black tux, white shirt and a matching black tie. She was really lucky to have someone like him.

Elena could see Caroline's shiny, shimmering dress from all across the room. She stood next to Klaus with a glass of champagne in her hand, giggling about something he'd said. When Elena approached them, a grin spread across Caroline's face.

"Elena, hi!" she said. "I'd hug you right now but Klaus said I have to behave since all the big bosses are here and I can't embarrass him," she whispered.

"Caroline, are you drunk?"

"She is a little tipsy. She's had a little too much to drink in a limo on our way here," Klaus smirked, watching Caroline with amusement.

Caroline just shrugged innocently, making Elena laugh.

"You look gorgeous!" Caroline beamed when Klaus left to talk to some people he knew.

"Thanks, Care. You too," Elena smiled.

"I know!" the blonde said, taking a sip of her champagne. "I feel gorgeous. Klaus keeps introducing me as his fiancé to all of these people and I'm so happy!" she giggled.

"I'm glad to hear that. It's so nice to see you happy like this. It's been a while since you've been in a stable relationship."

"Yeah, it has. But this is the real thing, Elena, I can feel it. This is going to last," Caroline's eyes were shining as she talked.

"I hope it does," Elena smiled, but her smile was replaced with a surprised expression when she saw Tyler Lockwood standing next to Liv, whispering something to her ear. "When did that happen?" she asked Caroline.

"It's been happening for a while now, I think. I heard Mommy Lockwood is not very happy with her boy's choice," Caroline said, grabbing another drink from the waiter's tray.

Elena frowned. "Why is that? Liv's a great girl."

"She is, but you know how no one's ever good enough for Tyler. That's why his relationships don't usually last too long."

Elena nodded, taking a sip of her own drink. Suddenly everyone in the room went silent and she realized it was time for Alaric's and Damon's speech. She didn't even notice when Alaric and Jenna arrived. Her eyes found Jenna standing next to one of the tables with food. She wore an orange dress and black flats. Her baby bump was pretty obvious. Her hair was curled and she looked really beautiful. It seemed like pregnancy gave her a special glow.

When Alaric and Damon finished their speech, Damon came to stand next to Elena and Caroline.

"Can I steal her for a moment?" he asked Caroline, smirking.

"Of course. I'm going to go and get myself another drink," Caroline grinned and took off.

"Easy with those, Care!" Elena said to her, but her best friend didn't seem to hear her.

"Dance with me," Damon said, circling her waist with his strong arms and pulling her closer to him.

"If I must," Elena grinned, putting her arms around his neck. They started to move, following the slow rhythm of the song playing.

"You having fun?" Damon asked.

"Yeah, I am. It's very nice in here. I've never been to a classy event like this, but I've always wanted to. Thanks for bringing me here," she said, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I don't think I would've survived this party without you, so it's a win-win," Damon smirked, pressing a kiss on her temple.

It seemed like everyone else around them disappeared. It was just the two of them. Elena closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of Damon's body pressed against hers.

But when she opened her eyes again, she froze when she saw who just entered the room. Standing next to Klaus's brother, Elijah Mikaelson, was Katherine Pierce.

* * *

><p><strong>Uh-oh, she's back! (And let me warn you-it's going to get ugly.) <strong>

**Please review, let me know what your think about this chapter. **

**Love you all xo**


	24. A blast from the past

_Hey guys! I'm finally back with the new chapter! I'm so sorry for making you guys wait for so long after leaving you with a cliffhanger! I haven't really been myself for the last couple of weeks, but now I'm great and I managed to finish this chapter for you!_

_Let me get one thing straight before we begin- Elijah that brought Katherine to the party is not the same Elijah who died in the accident(obviously lol). I couldn't imagine Katherine coming with anyone else so I had to put another Elijah in the story. So Elijah who died was Rebekah's brother and this one is Klaus's (Rebekah and Klaus are not related in this story). I'm sorry about the confusion guys!_

_Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! (Even though you'll probably hate my guts after you read it.)_

* * *

><p>"Damon, what the hell is she doing here?" Elena hissed. She was totally freaking out. Until that bitch arrived, everything was going so smoothly and all of Elena's fears about this evening disappeared. And now she was here and the night was completely ruined. Just seeing her stupid face made Elena want to throw up.<p>

Elena felt Damon tense next to her. His jaw tightened and he stared blankly in front of him. She could see that he was furious. He didn't say a word since they spotted Katherine.

"Damon, say something," Elena nudged him. She was worried that he would lose it and make a scene so she was trying her best to calm him. She ran her hand up and down his arm soothingly.

"Wait here," he said flatly and pulled away from her. He paced quickly through the crowd, leaving worried Elena behind him. When she couldn't see him anymore, she turned on her heel to find Caroline.

When Damon was closer to Katherine, he gave her a quick nod, showing her to follow him. Damon led her in the hidden hallway where no one could see them.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" he grabbed her arm and pinned her against the wall, his eyes burning with anger.

Katherine smirked, leaning closer to him. "This is hot. Reminds me of old times," she whispered to his ear.

He pulled away immediately, disgusted look on his face. "Oh, cut the crap and answer me."

She rolled her eyes, annoyed. "You know why I'm here, Damon. I think the text I sent you yesterday was pretty clear."

Oh, it was clear. Damon remembered the text very, very clearly. There was a picture that could get him in huge trouble and it said: **Dump your little lawyer bitch or I'm coming to your party tomorrow and showing this to her. Will you do as I say, Damon? I hope not because I'd love to see you tomorrow! Xo**

Damon convinced himself she was bluffing and that she had no guts to crash his party. But he should've known better. He knew how Katherine was and what she was capable of. He did tell his security guys not to let Katherine in, but obviously it didn't do any good.

"You're probably wondering how I got inside since you made sure I was kept away. You see, honey, Elijah is a powerful man and he convinced your guards that he'd humiliate you publicly if they didn't let me in. And he wasn't bluffing," Katherine licked her lips.

"Why are you doing all this? What's in it for you? Even if you break up Elena and me – which, I assure you, is not possible – I wouldn't be with you ever again. When are you going to realize that?"

Katherine laughed and rolled her eyes. "That's what you think, Damon. You think you've moved on. You think you love Elena, but she's actually just a replacement for me. We even look alike. Except she's about 50 levels below me. Or did you miss that fact, too?" She puckered her lips.

"Get out," Damon hissed. "Get the fuck out of here, you crazy bitch! This is my party and I will not let you ruin it. And I will not let you get close to Elena, who is, by the way, the best thing that ever happened to me!" he took his phone out of his pocket. "Seriously, get out or I will call security and make a scene."

"There's no need to do that. I'll leave," she smirked. "All I wanted was to see you so my mission here is complete," she started to walk away, but turned around. "And Damon – don't think I forgot about that picture. It's just a matter of time when Elena will see it."

And just like that, she left, leaving totally freaked out Damon behind her. He muttered a curse, running his fingers through his hair. What is he going to say to Elena? What if Katherine really tells her what happened months ago? It could- no, it most likely will- destroy this incredible thing that he and Elena had. Damon couldn't even allow himself to think about it. Just the thought of losing Elena tore him apart. Yeah, he was totally freaking out. And he really needed to pull himself together before he went back into that room full of people.

* * *

><p>"Okay, what was that about? Where is she now?" Elena rushed to him as soon as she spotted him. She looked pretty worried, probably because she had no idea about what was going on.<p>

"I took care of it. She left," Damon said flatly, trying to hide his emotions from Elena. He didn't want her to see how upset he was. It would only make her freak out.

"Damon…" Elena said with a pleading voice. "What did she want?"

"Doesn't matter. It was nothing," he downed the drink he got on his way back. And now he needed another one.

He softened a bit when he saw the look on Elena's face. He allowed himself to breathe properly for the first time since his conversation with Katherine. "You don't have to worry about it. It's not worth it. She's not worth it," Damon said, placing a kiss on Elena's temple.

Elena let out a sigh, knowing he was hiding something from her. "Okay, I won't ask any more questions. But you're okay, right?" she wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder.

She looked at him with so much adoration and affection that Damon felt an ache in his chest from keeping a secret from her. He felt terrible, but he was too selfish to tell her the truth now when they were so happy together. He couldn't lose her.

"Of course I'm okay," he faked a smile and wrapped his arm around her. "Come on, let's get you another drink. Your glass is empty. "

* * *

><p>"I don't think I'll be able to walk out of this limo. My feet are killing me from these damned shoes," Elena whined on their way to Damon's house. She didn't feel like going home so she decided to spend the night at his place.<p>

"It's a good thing you have a strong, handsome boyfriend to carry you out of the car," Damon smirked at her. His mood improved a lot in the last hour. He was more relaxed since they left the party and he was starting to forget the whole Katherine incident.

"Why thank you, my handsome prince charming," Elena chuckled.

Damon nodded, still smirking. "Always ready to help a damsel in distress," he said just as the driver parked in front of the house.

Damon opened the door, got out of the limo and picked Elena up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a loud kiss on his cheek as he carried her to the doorway. "I love you," she said cheerfully.

Damon had to let her down to unlock the door. He stared at her for a moment before placing a soft kiss on her lips. "I love you too," he said.

And he really meant it. He's never loved a woman like this, not for real. For a long time he was just screwing around with girls, not really caring about any of them. And then came Katherine and Damon once thought that he loved her and that she was the one who he wanted to be with his whole life. But obviously, he was wrong. It was all just a delusion.

And now he had Elena and for the first time in forever, he was sure about something. He was sure that he loved her and that she was the one. That's why he was so terrified of losing her.

The moment they entered the house, Elena threw the shoes she'd been carrying in her hand on the floor. She's been waiting for hours to finally do that.

While Damon was taking a shower, Elena poured herself a drink and took a seat in the heavenly comfortable armchair in his room. She figured that she should check her phone since she hasn't looked at it for the whole evening. She saw that she had four e-mails: one from Tyler who sent her some documents she needed to take a look at, two from Caroline, sending her pics of wedding dresses and shoes and fourth was from the unknown person.

At first Elena thought about deleting the fourth e-mail without opening it because it might be a virus, but her gut told her to open it instead. Her jaw dropped in shock when she saw what was in the e-mail and who the sender was.

**Hey, hun. Take a look at the date on the picture. Ringing a bell? **

**Yeah, it's exactly what it looks like.**

**If you don't believe me or think it's fake, just ask Damon. I'm sure he won't lie to you ;) And if he does, I have a video that says otherwise. **

**Have a nice night! **

**Xo Kat**

Beneath the text was a picture of Damon sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, covered with a sheet from the waist down. And the date on the picture said: 22nd of July 2014.

The day before the last trial.

The day before Damon and Katherine's marriage ended for good.

The day before Damon and Elena slept together for the first time.

Damon slept with Katherine the day before he slept with Elena.

Elena felt mixed feelings in that moment. She was surprised, shocked, angry, but most of all, she was disappointed in him. He kept this from her this entire time. He told her way before the last trial that he felt nothing for Katherine. And then he slept with her. But what bothered Elena the most was that he lied to her.

When Damon got out of the shower, Elena was still sitting in his armchair, her face buried in her hands. He stopped on the doorframe when he saw her.

"Elena, what's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked, worried.

She looked at him blankly, but didn't say a word.

He took a few slow steps towards her and she just handed him her phone. Damon looked at that picture for the second time in a couple of hours and everything from that night started coming back to him.

* * *

><p><em>He was sitting in the bar alone, over-thinking everything. He was on his sixth glass of bourbon and it had started to mess with his head. <em>

_Tomorrow, he will be a divorced man. He was relieved, but it also felt kind of weird. He and Katherine have been happy together for some time in the past, before it all went down the hill. Damon knew that divorce was the best solution and he would have it no other way, but she was still under his skin, even though he hated her. A woman he loved was Elena. She was perfect, but unavailable. After all, he was still her client and they couldn't be together. But it was so hard for him to stay away from her. _

_After finishing his drink, Damon stood up, paid the bill and headed out. He was starting to feel drunk and he couldn't allow himself to drink more because tomorrow was the trial and he could not walk into the court with a hangover. _

_He opened the door of the bar and found himself face to face with no other than his beloved soon-to-be-ex-wife. _

_"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, more shocked than angry. _

_"I was looking for you. I figured you'd be here. It is your favorite place after all," Katherine said, taking a step closer to him. _

_"What do you want?"_

_"I want to be with you one more time."_

_He started walking, trying to ignore her, but she followed him. "Come on, Damon. Talk to me. We'll be divorced tomorrow and we won't get any more chances to do this," she grabbed his forearm, stopping him. She raised her hand and stroked his cheek. He didn't move. His head was spinning and he wasn't sure if it was from alcohol or from Katherine. _

_He wanted her in that moment. He just wanted to taste her one more time before it's over. Not because he still had feelings for her, but because he remembered how great she was in bed. _

_She was still touching him, her hand slowly travelling down his neck, his chest and to his waist. She gripped his belt, pulling him closer to her. _

_"You know you want this," she whispered into his ear. "Just one last time." _

_Damon couldn't take it anymore. He crushed his lips to hers, his tongue exploring her mouth and his hands travelling from her neck, to her breasts, down her waist and finally rested on her hips._

_Before he knew it, they were in a cab to Katherine's place._

_He knew he shouldn't do it. He knew it was a mistake. But he didn't care. _

_And he had no idea what this mistake would cost him in the future. _

* * *

><p><strong>Please don't hate me. *puppy eyes*<strong>

**I actually enjoyed writing this chapter because I love Datherine's chemistry so much! I loved it on screen and I love it in this story. But don't worry, they won't be the endgame or something like that haha **

**I'm both happy and sad to say that we're getting close to the end of this story. I think there'll be about 3 or 4 more chapters before it's over. **

**If you guys have any questions, ask, I don't bite. You can also follow me on Tumblr. (delenas-future) **

**Please review, let me know what you think, I'm super curious about your opinion on this chapter!**

**And I'm sorry that I left you with a cliffhanger again :( **

**Love you all xo**


	25. Troublemaker

_Wow, I can't believe how fast I managed to write this chapter! I guess I just felt too bad for leaving you guys with the cliffhanger (again) and I wanted to give you this chapter as fast as I could!_

_I know I said 3 or 4 more chapters, but I've decided that instead I'd give you two longer ones. So basically, this is the last chapter(sniff, sniff) and the next one will be an epilogue. _

_Anyways, I hope you'll like this chapter because I worked my ass off for it! _

_And don't forget to review, I really want to know your opinions on this chapter and this whole story since it's almost over._

_Chapter 25, here we go!_

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><p>"Elena, I…"<p>

"Please, don't say you can explain! I'm not stupid, Damon, I know what happened. So please, don't use the cliché excuses on me," Elena said, the volume of her voice rising as she spoke.

"Okay. I won't. I'm just going to say that I'm sorry that I kept this from you. I know there's nothing I can say to make this better, but I really am sorry. I don't know why I did it, you know how much I hate her. I got carried away and…" Damon's voice cracked. He sat on the bed, running his fingers through his hair.

Elena started at him with a pained expression on her face. She tried her best not to cry. It would just make her look weak and she most definitely wasn't weak.

"You know, Damon, the fact that you slept with her actually isn't what bothers me the most. You and I weren't together back then, so why should I be concerned about that, right? I mean, it's not like you cheated on me," she snorted. This whole thing just seemed ridiculous to her now.

"What bothers me the most is that you didn't tell me. Why, Damon? Why didn't you tell me? Did you think that it was a secret worth hiding? That _Katherine_ was worth of lying to me?" she tilted her head a little, questioning him.

Damon's eyes widened in shock. It hurt him so much that she thought Katherine was actually still important to him. "Oh my God, Elena, no… No, no, no, of course not! She's nothing to me. You have to believe me on this. The reason I didn't tell you is…" he put his hands on his knees and let out a sigh.  
>"I was being selfish. I love you so much and I couldn't stand the thought of losing you. And I thought that if I told you the truth, you would think low of me and you'd never want to see me again."<p>

"Well, I think low of you now. So it would be better if you told me back then than now when I have grown to love you this much. Because then I would probably understand why you did what you did and I could forgive you more easily. But now… I don't know, Damon," she stood up, grabbing her purse and heading for the door.

"No, Elena, please, don't leave," he cried. "Please, let me make it up to you."

"The only way you can make it up to me is to give me time. I need time to process all this. Can you give that to me?" she asked, tears burning her eyes.

Damon nodded, looking defeated. "Yes. Yes, of course. But I'll see you soon, right?"

"Yes ,Damon. I care about you too much to give up on you for good," one tear managed to escape from her eye. "I have to go now. Don't bother following me, I'll call a cab."

Elena's heart ached from what she just did, but it had to be done. She needed to get out of that house. Her vision was blurred from the tears, but she managed to find the exit, grabbing her shoes on her way out. She stormed out, grasping for air. Everything around her seemed to be spinning. She let a few tears fall down her cheeks, but she wiped them off quickly. She wouldn't allow herself to be weak. That's not who she was.

* * *

><p>THREE WEEKS LATER<p>

"Seriously, Care, I think you should do a spring wedding. I'm thinking maybe April? The weather's not cold, but it's not too hot either. It's a perfect month for holding a reception outside," Elena said, putting a piece of steak in her mouth. It was Friday night and she and Caroline were sitting at their favorite restaurant, enjoying dinner after a tough week at work.

"Yeah, I agree. But now is April! Which means I'd have to wait a whole year for the next one!" Caroline leaned back in her chair, letting out a sigh of frustration.

"Well, that gives you more time to prepare for the wedding. I mean, what's the rush? You want everything to be absolutely perfect," Elena chewed slowly, appreciating every bite. She was hungry as hell and a bit annoyed that Caroline kept interrupting their meal with constant babbling. But she was used to it. It was typical Caroline.

"Yes, but I want to be married to Klaus as soon as possible! I can't wait for us to live together. I've already started thinking about how to redecorate Klaus's house. I'm still deciding on designs for the curtains in the master bedroom, but…"

"Caroline!" Elena cut her off, which earned her a glare from her blond friend. "You need to chill, okay? You have a wedding to plan first and then you can think about designs for the curtains, baby names and other stuff. One step at a time."

Caroline took a deep breath, reaching for her glass to take a sip of water. "You're right," she nodded. "I know I'm very annoying right now and that I'm probably freaking out too much, but this is _my wedding_, Elena," she smiled, her look turning dreamy.

"It's something that I've been dreaming of since I was five. Now that it's finally happening, I want everything to be exactly how I've imagined."

"And it will be," Elena took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "I know that it will," she grinned at her friend.

"Now, let's take a look at these deserts," she said, grabbing a menu.

"I'm not sure if I can handle more food," Caroline frowned, checking out a menu. "But I'll try," she grinned.

None of them said anything for a few moments. Caroline was the one to break the silence with the question she's been avoiding for weeks. "So, have you heard from Damon?"

She knew Elena would probably refuse to talk about him, but it was worth trying.

"I thought we had an agreement, Caroline," the brunette said, hiding behind her menu. "Don't mention the D word. It's that simple."

"Okay."

With that, they went silent again. Caroline knew that Damon was the sensitive topic and that it wasn't easy for Elena to talk about him. But they were best friends for a long time and they've been through a lot. Caroline really wished that Elena would just open up to her and talk about what's on her mind.

The ringing of Elena's phone interrupted Caroline's thoughts.

"Hey, Ric," Elena said cheerfully. She was still in a pretty good mood, despite the sudden tension that Caroline's question caused.

"I need your help," Alaric said from the other side of the line. He sounded kind of upset.

"What's wrong?" Elena almost jumped from her seat. "Oh my God, is Jenna okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. I'm not calling about her. It's about Damon…"

She froze when she heard his name. What the hell was happening? She didn't say anything, waiting for Ric to continue.

"He's in trouble. We went out for drinks, but when I arrived, he was already drunk. But of course, he drank some more and got completely wasted. I couldn't stop him, you know how stubborn he is. And then he got into a fight with some guy who beat him up. I tried dragging him home, but he won't go and now we're standing in the middle of a fucking sidewalk, he's full of bruises and cuts and he's bleeding and I don't know what to do! I think you're the only one who could reason with him."

"Oh my God," Elena groaned. "What the fuck is wrong with him?!" she said a little too loud so that a few people who were sitting close to their table turned around. "Where are you?"

"In front of the Whitmore bar. Do you know where that is?"

Elena could hear sounds of struggle in the background, which probably meant that Damon was trying to free himself from Alaric's grip.

She stood up, ready to leave. Caroline was staring at her, confused and worried. "Yeah, I'll be there soon. Can you handle him for a couple more minutes?"

"I'll try. Thank you," Alaric said, sounding relieved.

"What the hell is going on?" Caroline asked after Elena hung up.

"Damon got himself into some deep shit and now I'm the one who has to pull him out of it," Elena rubbed her forehead, clearly annoyed. She took out her wallet and paid her share of the bill. "I'll let you know the details when I'm done, okay?"

"Okay," the blonde nodded. "Just be careful."

"I will," Elena said, pressing a quick kiss to her best friend's cheek before storming out of the restaurant.

* * *

><p>She drove very fast, anger burning inside of her. What the hell was he thinking? Damon could be pretty stubborn, but he was never the reckless kind of guy.<p>

She missed him so much for past few weeks. It was so hard living without him after she got used to seeing him and talking to him every single day. She didn't want to live without him. But after what he did, after he lied to her, she couldn't just let him get off the hook so easily. He needed to learn his lesson.

Elena knew that, eventually, they would get back together, but this wasn't exactly how she imagined their reunion.

She arrived at a spot Alaric directed her to, slamming the door of her car shut. She spotted Alaric and Damon immediately. It was quite a scene. Damon barely stood on his feet. He looked wrecked. His left eye was black and just slightly open, he had bleeding cuts on both of his cheeks and on his bottom lip, his knuckles red and his shirt stained with what could be the other guy's blood. Alaric's hand was on Damon's forearm, gripping him tightly.

"Thank God you're here," Alaric said the moment he saw Elena.

"Elena?! You called _Elena_?!" Damon spoke angrily. If he had any strength left, he would probably punch his best friend in the face.

"Yeah, I called Elena, dumbass. She's the only person you listen to."

Damon lost his balance yet again, but Alaric stopped him from falling. "But Elena hates me," he stumbled upon his words.

Elena rolled her eyes. "I don't hate you, you idiot," she took Damon's arm and put it around her shoulders, wrapping her other arm around his waist to steady him. "I've got this," she said to Alaric who nodded thankfully and left.

"Come on, let's get you home," she whispered to Damon. She was supposed to be pissed, but some of her anger went away the moment she saw him. He relaxed in her arms, putting one foot slowly in front of the other, following her steps.

The drive to Damon's house lasted about half an hour and Damon was asleep the whole time. When they arrived, Elena helped him out of the car. Even though he was limping, he was able to walk up the stairs by himself so Elena realized that he sobered up a little while he was sleeping.

She dragged him to his bathroom and made him sit on the edge of the bathtub. She took a towel soaked in water to clean his wounds. While she tapped gently across his face, getting rid of all the blood, Damon didn't say a word. He just closed his eyes and enjoyed her touch.

"You can say something, you know. I won't yell, throw a brick at you or something like that. You couldn't handle it after a night like this," she smiled, wiping his forehead.

"What am I supposed to say?" his voice was quiet, with a trace of sadness. "What do you want to hear? That I'm ashamed of myself? Because I am," he spoke slowly, locking his eyes with hers. "I'm ashamed of the fact that you have to see me like this. And that after all I've done to hurt you, you still have to take care of me."

Now it was Elena's turn to stay silent. She was done with wiping his face so she turned around to grab the first aid kit from the drawer.

"I know you're tired of me saying that I'm sorry, but I really am. I can't live without you, Elena. I don't want to."

He looked so sad, staring down at his hands in his lap.

Elena lifted up his chin with her fingers so that she could take a better look at his face. He shivered when her fingers accidentally touched his lips. She did, too. She quickly removed her hand, taking a Q-tip and some alcohol to clean his wounds.

His lips twitched when he felt the burn of alcohol.

She realized that he smelled like shit so she grabbed the hem of his dirty shirt and pulled it up and over his head.

She put her hands on his bare shoulders, staring at his eyes. "You're an idiot, you know that?" she couldn't help but smile, making some of the tension between the two of them go away.

"Yeah, you've kind of mentioned it already earlier," he said, smirking.

She took a bandage and put it over the biggest wound on his right cheek.

"There, you're all set."

He stood up and went to bedroom to get a clean shirt. Elena was thankful that he put it on because having to look at him half-naked was super distracting.

"Thanks for taking care of me," he said, sitting on the bed. He was still tipsy and it was difficult for him to keep his eyes open.

"No problem," Elena was standing in the middle of his room awkwardly. "I should go now. You need to get some sleep."

"No, wait," he called. "Come here," he tapped an empty spot on the bed next to him.

She sat down and he put his hand on her cheek, sending warmth through her entire body. She closed her eyes, enjoying his touch. Everything inside of her lit up.

They stayed like this for some time until Damon said something ridiculous.

"Marry me."

Elena's eyes flew open, her jaw dropping. "What?"

"Marry me," he repeated casually, like it was no big deal.

"You're drunk, Damon. Go to sleep. We'll talk tomorrow," Elena stood up, trying to hide a smile. She found his sudden proposal very amusing. She wondered what he'd think of it tomorrow when he's sober.

"Fine. But just so you know, I'm being serious, even though I'm drunk."

"Okay," Elena chuckled, heading out. "Goodnight, Damon."

"Goodnight, Elena," he grinned.

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><p><strong>I promise you guys, no more drama! I saved all the cutest moments for the last chapter!<strong>

**Please review, let me know what you think!  
>Love you all xo<strong>


	26. Epilogue

Final chapter guys.

I put everything that I have to say to you awesome people in the end of this chapter so you can just skip it if you don't want to read my rambles.

Anyway, I give you chapter 26. I hope you'll like it and please review :)

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><p>ONE YEAR LATER<p>

"You ready, babe?" Damon called from his room. He was standing in front of the mirror, fixing the knot on his tie.

"Almost," he heard Elena's voice from the bathroom. That's what she said ten minutes ago. He sat on the bad, sighing a little too loud.

"I heard that, Damon. Give me some time, please. The maid of honor needs to be pretty," she said, putting mascara on her long, thick eyelashes.

"Be careful, honey, or you'll be prettier than the bride," Damon smirked.

"I can't be prettier than Caroline even if I wanted to. At least not today. Have you seen her dress?" Elena came out from the bathroom, finally ready. She wore a knee-length beautiful light pink dress with thin beige belt around her waist and matching high-heeled sandals. Her hair was curled and she looked absolutely stunning, leaving Damon speechless.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she stopped at the door, narrowing her eyes at him.

He came closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing a soft kiss on her lips. "You. Are. Beautiful." He said in between the kisses. "And I love you."

"You're lucky I haven't put my lipstick on yet," Elena grinned, handing him her necklace. "Could you help me with this?"

"My pleasure," Damon smiled. He stood behind her and put the necklace around her neck, his fingers gently touching her delicate skin.

She turned around, putting her arms around his neck, kissing him one more time. "You look incredibly hot in that tux," she whispered in his ear before pulling away from him to grab her purse.

He groaned in frustration and made an adorable pouty face when she let go of him, making her smile even wider.

"Come on, we're going to be late if you keep distracting me with cuteness," she pointed a finger at him and headed out.

* * *

><p>"I think Mikaelson will freak out and bail on Blondie," Damon said, smirking. His hands were on the steering wheel of his Camaro and he took his eyes off the road for a second to look at Elena's reaction.<p>

She gasped and smacked his arm. "Damon! Shut your mouth right now! How could you even say that?! Klaus loves Caroline and he would never do that to her. He can't wait to be married to her!"

Damon tried his best not to laugh at her outburst. "Relax, I'm messing with you."

"Don't even joke about that," she shot him a glare. "I don't even want to imagine Caroline's reaction," she winced at the thought.

They both went silent for a couple of minutes. For Damon it was normal, but for Elena it meant that she was thinking deeply about something.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Damon was the first one to speak.

She hesitated for a moment before looking at him. "You won't leave me at the altar, right?"

He let out a snort before realizing she was serious. "Are you crazy? I would never do that. I wouldn't ask you to marry me if I didn't actually want for you to be my wife."

"Good," she smiled. "Because you know what I'd do to you if you did."

"Cut off my balls with a chain saw and feed them to the wild beasts?"

"Something like that," she smirked.

"I can't wait to marry you, Elena," he said, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. "You know that."

"Me too. I can't wait for you to be my husband," she said, staring at him with adoration. "Husband," she repeated. "It sounds nice, doesn't it?" she raised her hand and looked at a beautiful ring on her finger. She loved that ring very much, especially because it once belonged to Damon's mother. Her mind wandered to the day that Damon put that ring on her finger.

* * *

><p><em>"Where are we going?" Elena asked, her fingers intertwined with Damon's as he led her to an unknown location. They were walking for a few minutes and Elena was trying to see something through the blindfold, but was failing. She didn't really like surprises because she loved control. And with surprises, she never knew what to expect, therefore, she couldn't control the situation. <em>

_"Be patient. We're almost there. And don't peek!" Damon scolded. _

_Elena realized that the air became clearer and fresher and the noise of the city wasn't so loud. As they were getting closer, the familiar smell of tree and flowers overwhelmed her. She knew this place like the back of her hand. _

_"Damon, I know where we are," she said cheerfully, letting go of his hand. _

_"You do?" he asked, but he didn't sound surprised. He took of the blindfold from her eyes, grinning. _

_Elena smiled at the sight in front of her. Damon brought her to her secret hideout which she showed no one but him. She sat on the bench next to the pond, staring at the rays of sunshine reflecting on the water surface. Damon sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him, closing her eyes. _

_"Damon, why did you bring me here?" _

_She felt him getting up. He turned his back from her, facing the water. She sat up, wondering what this was about. _

_"Remember when we were in a fight a few months ago and I got drunk and you took care of me?" _

_"Yeah…" Elena said. She remembered that very vividly. But where was he going with this?_

_"And then I asked you to marry me. We never really talked about that because I made you think that I was too drunk and I didn't remember a thing about that night. But the truth is, I was serious that night," he turned around, his blue eyes piercing through her. "But I was lucky that you forgave me and I didn't want to push too hard. I figured you weren't ready yet." _

_Elena stared at him with awe. Is he really going to do what she thought he was going to do?_

_"I hope you're ready now because I have something for you," he took a little box out of his pocket and knelt down in front of her. "I love you, Elena Gilbert. You're the only person who puts up with all of my crap and I'm thankful for that." _

_She let out a laugh. He was being an idiot even when he was proposing._

_"I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" he asked, smiling. He was so adorable, staring at her with puppy eyes, waiting._

_"Of course," she grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck and crushing her lips to his._

* * *

><p>Elena stared at Klaus and Caroline with a huge grin on her face. They were on the dance floor, dancing for the first time as a married couple. They were both so happy, looking each other with so much love and appreciation. Elena was so glad that her best friend found everything she was looking for.<p>

Caroline chose a perfect church for the wedding and they both wrote beautiful vows that brought tears to Elena's eyes. Her wedding dress was absolutely gorgeous and she looked like a princess. It was long, sleeveless and heart-shaped in the cleavage area. It was wide and luxurious from the waist down, with diamonds on the hem. The reception was held in Klaus's backyard which was decorated in white and gold. There were bundles of white roses on every table and they smelled like heaven. Caroline really outdid herself with this wedding.

Damon interrupted her thoughts when he came behind her, catching her by surprise. "That's going to be us soon," he whispered to her ear, handing her a glass of champagne. He wrapped the other arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Yes. Very soon," she turned around, smiling. "But I don't think we'll be able to top this. It's like a damn royal wedding."

"We don't even have to try. I'm fine with running away and getting married somewhere far away from here, without all the fuss," he said, sitting down and popping a canapé from the table in his mouth.

Elena sat down next to him and took a sip of champagne. "No, no way. That's not an option. My mom would kill me if I did that. She's been dreaming of my wedding since before I was born! We're going to have a nice, big, traditional wedding. It's going to be beautiful and you'll have to somehow survive it. Got it?" she pointed a finger at him.

He groaned, even though he knew he had no other choice. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Wifey."

Elena grinned at the nickname he gave her and before she got the chance to answer back, Jenna and Ric appeared. Jenna was holding little Emily in her arms. She was only 9 months old and absolutely adorable. She had soft, blond, curly hair and big blue eyes. She was wearing a cutest little flower dress and tiny little shoes. Jenna also put a pink bow in her hair and she was the most beautiful baby Elena has ever seen.

"Could you guys watch her for a few minutes? Ric and I would like to go dancing," Jenna asked.

"Of course!" Elena grinned. She took Emily in her arms and kissed her chubby cheek. "It'll be our pleasure."

"Thanks," Jenna smiled. "And if she starts crying, just give her this giraffe," she handed Damon a stuffed animal. "She loves it," she added before heading to the dance floor with Alaric.

Elena babbled something to Jenna's and Ric's daughter while Damon played with Emily's toy. He seemed to have found it very amusing.  
>"You are adorable," Elena said with a grin on her face, placing a little girl on her lap. She was always thrilled when she got to watch Jenna's baby. "Isn't she adorable, Damon?"<p>

"She is," Damon smiled. "Can I hold her?"

"Of course you can!" she beamed. Damon wanted to hold a baby. That was not a scene she saw every day.

He took her in his arms carefully. He made a funny face at her and she laughed adorably. After he heard her laugh, he was completely smitten by a little wonder called Emily Saltzman.

"She really is adorable," he said to Elena, grinning. And then, suddenly, his face turned serious. "I want one."

Elena's jaw dropped. "You want a baby?!"

"Yeah, why not?" he shrugged. "Not right now, obviously, but after we get the wedding over with and settle down… Why are you staring at me like that? I thought you wanted kids, too."

"I do, Damon. But I never heard you talk about it, so…"

"It's not that I never wanted kids. Katherine didn't want kids so I haven't given it much thought. Well, until I met you. What I want wasn't this clear to me like it is since I'm with you. I can imagine my future with you. And it definitely includes babies," he looked at Emily with a smile on his face.

"Oh, Damon. There's nothing I want more than to start a family with you," Elena said to him, amazed and taken away by what he had just said.

A huge grin spread across Damon's face. "I can't wait."

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><p><strong>I can't believe this fic has come to its end! I'm going to miss it after spending over a year creating it :( <strong>

**But I'm also happy to say that I have some new ideas which will, hopefully, turn into a new story very very soon. **

**Now, I want to thank every single one of you who read my story, followed, favorited and especially to those who reviewed and gave me feedback. You guys have really helped me and it was a pleasure reading every single one of your reviews! **

**Thank you for sticking with me for such a long time and for handling my stupid updating schedule. **

**This is actually my first real fic and when I posted a first chapter, I was kind of afraid that no one would read it, but the amount of positive responses that I got is just crazy and I love you guys so soo much! This has truly been an amazing journey.**

**I appreciate and love all of the reviews I got, but I'd like to give shout-outs to a few special someones:**

**bellax0xchristina, YAZMIN V, jairem, Steph2013, meigs37, Helene08, nallemorin, Sorrybout'ya - You guys have been my most faithful reviewers and you have no idea how much your opinions meant to me. Some of you actually gave me some ideas for the story or decide in which direction it will go. Thank you, thank you, thank you.  
>(If someone feels like I forgot them or should've mentioned them, feel free to let me know) :) <strong>

**Okay, I think that's it for now. If you have any questions about this story or about my further creations, you can ask me here or pay a visit to my Tumblr account (delenas-future) and send me a message. **

**Oh, and don't forget to let me know what your opinions on this chapter. Fill that empty box below with your thoughts :) **

**Love you all xo**


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